Reading Inspires Me

I've been thinking a lot about reading versus other forms of entertainment. Obviously, reading comes out ahead in terms of things like improving reading comprehension, which is a benefit in education and job performance, but there is something else about reading we don't often talk about.

Reading leaves me hungry.

Not for food, but for experiences. When I read, it's not just about living vicariously through the characters while I'm in the book, it's about wanting to read the books they've read, go the places they've been, and do the things they've done. Or not do the things they've done, if things didn't turn out so well.

Reading affects my behavior more than watching TV or movies or gaming. I guess you could say when I'm done doing those other things I feel satiated, like I've already participated in what I've seen, but reading makes me want to get off the couch and get engaged.

As a child, I read a series about a girl who became a nurse. Those books had a great  influence on my decision to go into nursing. I read the Black Stallion books, and ended up with a black Arabian stallion of my own. I certainly can't imagine rewatching a TV show or movie the way I've reread and studied the Bible.

Do books inspire you to get out and do?