Books & Me

 My Reading Journey

Where does my reading habit come from? 

My mom was an avid reader. She always told us that she read whatever book was available in her school back then. So yeah, everything started from home. Mom also supported us with some books when we were kids. She bought us several books such as Abu Nawas, Stories of 25 Prophets, and Stories of Heaven and Hell. These books were my first experience in the world of literacy.

Then, after I finished elementary school, they sent me to Parepare, where I entered a new world full of books. I really like my middle school library: the books collection, the atmosphere, and the librarian. Even though the library is relatively small, every time I stepped in there, I feel like entering a world without a barrier, a place to be explored without limits.

In junior high school, I read encyclopedias, and classical Indonesian literature such as Siti Nurbaya, Salah Asuhan, and several other books. I'm grateful to have found this treasure at such a young age because, in the next few years, it turned out that the discovery led me to live a more meaningful life. My love for books was ingrained in this phase, and reading became an addiction.

And I am also grateful for living with a family that really values education. I have two cousins who excel in academics, I mean they always were on top of the class. I was not, but I'm proud of myself who loved reading. I'm not good at math, physics, etc., but I'm great at language, Indonesian subjects, and English. And that's enough. Because at this phase, I found my future path.

After graduating from middle school, I enrolled in my study in the same city. And at this time, my circle of friends became a major factor in my love of well-preserved books. I met my best friends in the second grade of high school who really liked reading, especially comics. They introduced me to a small bookstore and several magazines stands. At the moment, I always set aside pocket money to buy books and magazines. I unconsciously build an image as the reader in class.

I am very grateful to have met these two of my best friends.

My journey continued, I left Parepare to endure my study in the capital city of South Sulawesi, Makassar. I majored in English Literature. And this college journey was a journey of self-discovery. I was still figuring out what colors were right for me to wear, and what look I was supposed to present.

A deep understanding of myself came at the end of my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Jogja. I found my pathway to being explored throughout my life. I will devote myself to the world of education in general, and the world of literacy in particular.

For me, life is a book, and reading is a way to make meaning of life. Those two things make me human.