A friend with Benefits

Thank you Authors and Writers

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The sole aim of this article is to say thanks to all the authors and writers of this world. Around a few years back, with the help of my mother and some book-lover friends, I too discovered an interest in reading novels. Before that reading a novel to me meant completing a boring task.

Well, now the case is different. I can’t stay without a novel. With the course of time, story books and novels have become my best friend.

The mental peace that I get from reading various stories is unmatched. I feel maintaining the daily chores of life minus the reading would make life dull and un-happening! Since childhood, I always needed some activities to entertain me. Earlier when I was a student, I happened to be in sports, dancing and most importantly would often indulge in the hour-long-adda session with my buddies. All these would occupy most of my time. But the situation has changed. We all have settled down in our respective professional worlds. We have no time for sports or dance not even for the adda, which happened to be a part of our daily life once. These activities have become occasional guests in our lives.

To be very honest, over the years, I have developed an emotional-relationship with novels. Yes an emotional-relationship. In my life, it plays the role of a friend, philosopher and guide. The fact that we (the novel and I) don’t communicate like normal human beings doesn’t affect our relationship. We both have accepted that one (novel) will always be the ‘informative-friend’ and the other (me) will always be the ‘silent-knowledge gainer’. Interestingly in this journey, only I am the beneficiary.

We all know that novels do play a key role in character building of our life. It ensures a number of benefits like, it enriches the vocabulary power, improves analytical skills, sharpens memory, betters the writing skills etc. But to me, the benefit is the mental peace, which is beyond all these factors.

The novels help me to nurture my varied feelings and emotions. Sometimes it inspires me to dream; sometimes instructs me to value desire and willpower, sometimes makes me understand relationships better and sometimes it simply tells me to love myself and be happy for having this life. And most importantly, it lets me imagine and experience something new every day.

It also helps me to get rid of the lonely feeling. For example, I might be upset one fine morning and people in my surrounding might be too occupied with work or may not be in a condition to pay heed to my story. At that time, it would not be a nice idea to disturb them with my upset stories. So, here comes the novel  as a rescue. It helps temporarily to distract my mind from the situation. And then once when my hostel-mates and loved ones are free from their work I can share my feelings with them. Now you must be thinking that how is this possible? When someone is upset, how can he or she concentrate on a novel?

Well, it is only possible then, when you have developed this beautiful relationship with novels. To take their help, first you have to love them, then trust them. Once you have reached this position, concentrating on them won’t be an issue anymore.

I would also like to say thanks to the various bloggers whose articles I read during my leisure time or when I feel low. They  refresh my mind with their enlightening content. There are times when I feel stressed out or go through mood swings. No human being can work freely when his or her mind is bogged down. I simply google ‘feel good quotes, articles or stories’. An encouraging write-up simply lifts my mood and helps me to focus on the given assignment.

So, thank you very much all the authors and writers for creating ‘a-friend-with-benefits’ through your work for me or rather us…