Is reading important?

I love to read. It’s one of my greatest passions. When I was young, it opened my mind to the wider world than the small town I lived in. It entertained me. It often kept me guessing what was going to happen on the next page.

As an adult, I don’t have to necessarily read to open my mind to the wider world, but I read a lot to open my mind to wider understanding of the world and how it works and the people in it. I also still read for entertainment, and I still like surprises.

I read a lot of what are called primary sources. For example, I have a thick two volume work with original pieces written about the adoption of the US Constitution, including the recorded debates in some of the state legislatures of the time. I’ve read a lot of Lincoln’s letters and speeches. Another of my favorites is Two Years Before the Mast, a nineteenth century account of life on a ship sailing from one coast to the other around Cape Horn.

Why do I spend so much time reading? It enriches me. It enlarges my understanding. I love to see how the writer weaves the words on the page. I like the occasional surprise.

If you read, why is it important to you?