How I became a Bibliophile?

I remember I was 10 (or something) and studying in elementary school when I was first introduced to a place called ‘Library’. I had studied in a government school so the library of our school was not that fancy or much organized but still it had millions of books to read. It was a small room with a few racks fit in the walls to store the books. Rest of the things there had some old furniture (including a pair of table and chair for the teacher) and a shabby carpet on the floor of the room where we would sit. 

Nothing new or exciting happened on the very first day of my library visit. The librarian had instructed us about the rules (which were way too liberal) associated with the library and stuff to maintain the decorum. We (the students of my class) were asked to maintain a notebook for every grade and write reviews of the book she would be issuing. 

I have been a really studious kid throughout my school life so I took her instructions seriously and started considering it a new and important subject. 

In the very beginning, I used to take books (in Hindi only), read the story, write the review and get it checked in the respective periods.  

I continued this for hardly two or three months and then 

I completely gave up! 

Why? 

The lamest excuse: I didn’t have extra time to read a book consisting of approximately 300-500 pages apart from my own studies. 

Adulting would be easier if you learn time management at an early age. But as long as you feel the need for it, you have already become an adult. 

The room (library) had never been suffocating me which made me realize that I can never fit in this environment. 

I literally started bunking library classes to invest my time in compulsory subjects. It was decided that I would never take interest in books.

Since then, I never read any book (except textbooks) until I appear for college. 

No books for almost 7 years. Just imagine!

I took admission in a media institute for bachelors. 

A media college is a place where you can’t survive a day without reading and writing. So, don’t you dare to think that media students enjoy their lives? 

Even after that I never feel the need of reading books but there was no option because, within 3-4 months of college, I realized that writing gives me peace and it would suit a boring person like me.

False are the people who associate writing with boring people or writing is a boring job. I realized this when I started learning it. 

I started writing blogs. My fellows and teachers started liking my ideas but along with this, they told me that I was still missing transitions, connectivity with my readers and other related stuff. 

Avoid reading was the biggest mistake I made when I started writing. 

Being a media student I was required to read every possible thing but not only books. Though I used to read stuff during classes but only for assignment completion. 

Even if you can’t see it but there is a huge difference between 'doing something' and 'adopting and then doing it'. 

In the second year of my college, I finally started reading. I started with newspaper columns and short stories. I decided to read at least 100 words a day. 

I would devote at least 3-4 hours each day in reading. As time passed, reading and writing has become a habit of my routine. 

To achieve a bigger goal, always start with setting up simpler tasks. 

It took me 2-3 months to take interest in reading novels. Since then, I do it everyday and not for a purpose but for the sake of inner peace and happiness. 

I don’t really regret that I used to avoid reading because everything happens on a right time. But I would urge each one of you to make it habit (even if you do not belong to a creative industry like me) as soon as possible.