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The forgotten skill

Once upon a time, there came the book and the book came with the pages and the pages soon got stained with ink. Then there came Shakespeare and some witty writers of yesterday sulking to death. No one wanted to tame them but dust. Soon after, the housekeeper of the house wiped them clean. Dust free.

Reading nowadays is a mandatory task. It’s not for pleasure’s sake but done due to the needs for educational attainment. As an observer of such skill, I found that students browse books as if it’s a plague to be avoided, as much as possible. But since it is a task given, they kill themselves through reading without understanding, so long as to cover the task at hand. I bow my head to teachers who let their students read and carry them in a useful manner.

Others simply read just to kill time, as if time would want to die, then abandon the book without finishing a page or two. They borrowed books and buy expensively for the mere collection agenda and put them nicely in a pile of books somewhere. Only to be covered with inches of dust. It’s a nice set up once a friend visits and saw the huge amount of books in a shelf.

It’s an honor to be known a bookworm, literally. It’s just a shame, because books are not only for display purposes. There are also some who go into the library to dose off, covering himself with books. Behind these piles of book is a snoring handsome lad with saliva over his arms, not minding everyone around him.

On the other hand, there are also some who really are great readers. Fiction books are my weakness and I’m too sensitive when I saw one reading the books I love to read. Some ridiculed us, but who cares? It’s not as if fiction books only contain romance. It is more on the nature of man and everything around him. The inclination about them is so negative that we felt downgraded. Anyway, people are free to do anything they want – to read or not to read at all.

Even if a person reads only for the sake of pleasure and knowledge, it is still useful to read to catch up with the new trends and facts of life. It is just so sad to know that students today are not fond of reading whether a part of a newspaper or a simple pamphlet. It is only when they need such that they look for that reading material.

I say, “Without reading, one cannot comprehend. Imagine life without reading. It’s like talking without any sound at all.”

Factors affecting one’s decision

Following what your heart dictates is sometimes a controversial thing especially in deciding what your life would be if you reach legal age and have to leave your parents’ care.

Expectations surround anyone who performs well. This might push one to excel, but it can also pressure some to forget their real passion in life as they try to maintain standards expected of them by others.

People around you always have something to say. When I hear discussions about myself, I just keep quiet. When I graduated from high school, many relatives and friends wanted to influence me on what I should become. Some said I should take up Education or Accountancy because these fit my personality and these are within my capabilities.

Few things complicated my decision but it never affected my decision on the course to take. My will and dream became my weapons in deciding the course that I enrolled in. From that, I set my goals and plans. All I thought at the moment is to be able to prove my choice is the right one for me. There will be no regrets.

Studying hard to pass all the tests I had to take was enough for me to meet the challenge bestowed upon me by the expectations. One thing that strengthened and gave me determination was when I made it on the list of the academic scholars in my school. But they said I am not fit for the course I enrolled because I am not much of a talker.

They are right! I have always been a silent person, but this is the reason I took up Mass Communications.

You need voice and you must be brave in facing and dealing with people. In this field, you should be able to keep a simple talk, and more importantly a meaningful communication.

If someone is not much of a talker, it does not mean he or she does not have brains. People might not know that even if one is quiet, he or she knows something that is beyond other’s capability and expectation. Intelligence is not measured on how much you talk. It depends on the words and the content of what one is saying.

There may be millions of things that may inspire you or might discourage you from reaching your goal. Look up to find the right way. But never forget to look down when you reach the peak of your dream.