Introduction
Every time I walk into the library and pick out yet another great book, I cannot help but remember how it all started. When I was young I loved books mostly because of their beautiful illustrations. I would often pick a book and admire its beautiful pictures of animals, children, landscapes, and the like. My parents noticed my love of books and they would often pick the most colored one for me. All this changed when my aunt Cate moved in with us when I was about five and a half years old.
At that time aunt Cate had just finished her degree in early childhood development. Her dream then was to be a children’s book writer. It was my aunt who revealed the other side of books to me. Previously my mom would pick a book and explain all the pictures and illustrations in it. My aunt on the other hand loved reading to me. She would passionately read to me and the experience was unforgettable. I still believe my aunt Cate is solely responsible for my love of books and the English language in general.
Body
Every night my aunt would walk into my room with a book in her hands, my world would come alive. She would narrate the story I had always wanted to know through the illustrations in those books. She would often smile every time I told her “read the one with the wolf and the girl”. Then she would passively remark, “But I read it just a few weeks ago?” I often thought I was being a burden to my aunt, which is why I could not wait to grow up and be able to read for myself.
However, unknown to me then was the fact that my interest in her reading helped her achieve her dreams. Now she has over a dozen children’s book under her authorship. She has since revealed to me that I was her first audience and my opinions mattered a lot.
Even when I was old enough to read, she still kept track of what I read and sometimes made a few suggestions. When I won my first spelling contest she was in the audience cheering me on. She often insisted on reading all my English compositions. When I was eight and thought it was time for me to read my first thousand-page novel, all she did was smile. The fact is from the time my aunt first quenched my thirst for a well written book, I embarked on a journey that has lead me to the finer things that come with the mastery of the English language.
Conclusion
I have changed my career choice a few times in the course of my life. There was a time I wanted to write children’s books like my aunt. Then there was a time I wanted to be novelist, a journalist, a script writer, and a few others that have escaped my mind. Still, all this time my aunt’s success has been my reference point. For now it does not matter what I end up doing, but my love for creativity and the English language will have to be reflected in my career path. My aunt used to tell me that the English language is like a tree; while its roots dig for the goodness, it is the leaves that bask in it. Therefore, I have decided to keep digging and I am sure the goodness will be reflected.