My Experience With Reading And Writing

There is more to reading than just books and there is more to writing than just essays. When I think of reading and writing, the first thing that comes to mind is English class. I think of reading a 300-page book and writing a 5-page book report on it. This association is not fair to reading and writing as they are so much more behind these subjects. English is applied in many aspects of my life and without it we would be so limited in what we could do. We wouldn’t be able to read road signs, follow a cooking recipe, or even text a friend. These are vital skills to have, and as difficult as it was for me to develop these skills, I am grateful I have them now.

My journey with literature steams from a young age. Growing up, my parents were very supportive and wanted to help my sister and me to be the best we could be. In order to do that, they always encouraged us to read. This began with them reading me stories before bed. As a little kid, I loved listening to my parents read me books. I had lots of favorite books, but my favorite was when my mom would read me Shel Silverstein’s poems. My interest in reading shifted when I had to read to myself. As my dad encouraged me, I would read to him beginner books called Bob Books. They were only a few pages long, designed to help me improve my reading skills. This was when my personal dislike towards reading began. I no longer found enjoyment while reading so I tried my very best to avoid it. 

Each summer, my sister and I participated in the library programs since our parents thought this would help to motivate us to write more and improve our writing skills. We joined the Reading Club and the Mail Buddy Program. We could earn prizes for the number of books for the reading club. My sister would always win tons of prizes, because she enjoyed reading, but I would never read enough to win. My mom tried her best to encourage me, but the dread of reading was far worse than seeing my sister win a prize I could not attain. At the library, we also had to join a program where we designed mailboxes and wrote letters to one another. My mom’s rule for us that we had to write at least 10 letters a week. So, my sister and I would both sit down at the kitchen table and write them. Similarly to reading, I disliked to write and put up a big fuss with it, but I would ultimately always do it. My older sister is a fantastic writer and loves reading so she loved participating in all of these programs. I, on the other hand, felt it was a punishment and dreaded doing it. Despite my family stressing the importance of reading and writing, I never bought into it. 

As I got older, I went to great lengths to avoid reading and writing. I haven’t read a book outside of school in over 6 years. Over past the year, I strategically made choices to limit when I would have to read and write. In high school, my goal was to study Finance at U of I, so I selected my courses to meet U of I requirements. The AP English that I chose for my junior year met the composition requirement at U of I. This was the last real English class I took, and the next closest thing was my Public Speaking course which I took my first semester of college. So, it has now been four years since I wrote a paper that was not a business analysis report or a technical paper. It has been five years since my last formal English class. This has led to rusty storytelling writing skills. 

Though I have tried to avoid using these skills throughout my life, the reality is that I must use them on a day-to-day basis. Consequently, I have developed my skills through these instances. My professional career forces me to employ and develop these skills, especially when I send and receive email and text messages, when I am writing my resume or cover letters for a job application and to update my LinkedIn or Handshake. Though it is stressful and nerve racking when I am forced to face my challenges my career helped me to develop skills I never even consider I would need very often.

I finally came around to reading for pleasure once I found my interest. I learned that I may never find a passion for reading a book, but I love reading about topics I want to learn more about. My two main sources of reading now come from Bloomberg Business and Tech Insider. I enjoy diving into the world of new technologies and fast changing companies through the articles I find from these sources. This interest in the subject is both fascinating and helpful for me as I learn more about the industry. I have grown a lot from refusing to read to reading articles before bed every night. My reading journey has come full circle. The skills I have developed throughout my life are being put to use for enjoyment and classes, but most importantly, they are helping me greatly in the professional world. As much as I dislike reading and writing, I am grateful for the encouragement I received. 

Because I was never attracted to literature, I leaned towards a profession in finance. I believed that a number driven career was the best route for me because I could deal with numbers instead of having to process reading material. As I took more classes within my major, I found myself searching for materials regarding companies and new technology. I discovered how resourceful and interesting Bloomberg Business and Tech Insider are and I made time each night to read them. The lessons I have learned is that I have progressed significantly from refusing to read to actively seeking materials which help me to be better and smarter in my career field. Thanks to my family’s involvement and the instances where I was forced to use reading and writing in my professional career, I grew as a writer, and I am better able to confront the situations where I must use these skills. Finance may be driven by numbers, which is what has led me to this point, but my foundation of reading has helped me to grow beyond the classroom. As much as I hated reading and writing, I am grateful for the encouragement I received.