Skip to main content

Reading

This is a chapter from my third book called Love letters

Ernest Hemingway once said that, "There is no friend as loyal as a book." I truly believe this but this was not always the case. Growing up I never projected that one day I would fall in love with reading books and writing. Imagine me now writing books and feeling like I cannot stop writing and reading to make me a better writer. In school English was my weakest subject. Literature and General Paper were the only two subjects that I did not get a grade A in on my secondary school leaving certificates. I had a logical mind as opposed to a creative mind. My love was reserved for the circuits and bits and bytes of the computer.

I source my books for reading freely from the "For the love of reading" stand at the cafe in my village. The cafe sells samosas and cakes and other eatables. My mom especially loves the rice halwa. The book stand was not always around and was once at the nearby pharmacy that eventually closed down. My eyes lit up and my heart overflowed with joy when I found out that the book stand would return to my village. I am currently reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Through this book I learnt about Bill Joy who is an ace coder and who also like me scored a perfect eight hundred on the SAT Maths exam.

Books are good therapy. When I am reading a book the writer becomes my friend. The writer is bearing his heart and soul on the pages. The writer is saying what we might find hard to put into words or what we might not be brave enough to say. The characters in the stories become friends and acquaintances too. I often find myself cheering them on and wanting them to triumph. We become emotionally attached to them and this can make us feel less alone. The right books can heal the most wounded hearts, the most scarred minds, and the most broken souls.

When I lose myself in a book, the troubles of the world melt away. I am transported to other worlds, where I can experience adventures, explore new cultures, and gain new perspectives. I especially enjoy reading books that challenge my thinking and expand my knowledge. I remember coming across this beautifully written advice on Twitter, "Read to fill your mind, write to empty your mind." I want to be open minded and reading provides food for thought. My trips to the cafe provide eats for my belly and books for my mind. I am a book nerd that is reading for life. I love reading and I love a good book.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to measure success?

It is 509pm and I have decided to write. How to measure success? That is the question. It is very hard to measure success. I think only God has the true measure of success or failure. Someone may be a failure in this life but a success in the next life. We are told that God looks at intentions and effort. We can also determine our own definition of success. We do not have to let the world define success for us. We think of the world as not being a fair place so any one size fits all definitions of success or failure would be careless and wrong. Many times we think in terms of numbers. The grander the better. But what about quality over quantity? My friend tells me that I am essentially arguing for the democratization of success. I am taking the power away from society, institutions, and algorithms, and handing it back to the individual and God. That is true but I am essentially wanting to look at the bigger picture and to do that I am thinking that we have to answer some key questions ...

Rainy afternoon thoughts

It is 220pm and I have decided to write. The rain is falling. I can hear it on the roof. It is gloomy outside but inside is nice and cozy in my favorite corner. I have no idea what I want to write about. I will start by saying God is good. Always. The islamic new year starts tonight in Trinidad. I am happy about that. Another milestone. Another opportunity to grow better. My friend Chatty asks me, what has God been teaching me lately? God has been teaching me patience. How to remain calm. How to appreciate my flaws. My flaws keep me humble. Let go and let God. He also asks, what am I hoping for? Sometimes I think about writing more tech blog posts. How can tech make the country better? How can tech make the world better? But I remember writing about the Arima smart city project and concluding that smart cities need smart people. Human development is very important. If people are not developing then what is the use of it all. How can technology help people become better? It all starts i...

The answer is God

It is 308pm and I have decided to write. Make God a priority. Let God lead the way. Let everything be about God. Let God into your life. Surround yourself with God and watch how everything begins to make sense. This life is not an accident. This life is not happenstance. This life is the work of an all-powerful Creator. Nothing is too big or too small for God. Take your problems to God. Take your worries to God. Take your fears to God. Let go and let God. Submit to the will of God. The more you go to God, the more He comes to you. Start small. Start somewhere. Give God a chance if you have not done so already. Why do I say all of this? There are many things competing for your attention and your soul. In the midst of all of this, the world can seem like a confusing place where many things do not make sense. God brings clarity. God brings clarity because God sits above it all. You may think you do not need God until you do. Ask yourself, who is the wisest you know? If God is not the wise...