Written by: Colin Rhoney
English 111 (A2)
Ever since I first began to read, books have always been a major influence in my life. My childhood was full of many memories of reading many wonderful books. I remember spending hours upon hours going from shelf to shelf, looking for new books. The library became almost like a treasure hunt, searching every row and every book before discovering just the right book to read. The most exciting part was when I would come across a new book that I could immerse myself into and imagine all the possible adventures I could have. The library became a safe haven, a place where I could escape the outside world and the troubles it brought, and jump into many great books where happy endings are endless.
As I grew up, my yearning and passion for books gradually turned into a lost joy. The excitement I got from going to the library was no longer present; the happiness I received from secluding myself from the world in my room, spending hours of time reading, was gone. All to be blamed by one small step in my life: middle school. So when, in ninth grade, a group of classmates longed for me to read a book called Harry Potter, I was a little skeptical and curious as to what it was and why they wanted me to read it.
Since my obsession for books was pretty much gone, I was a little hesitant and it took me a while to actually pick up the first book. After long debates and discussions of how fascinating the books were with my classmates, I finally decided to attempt to read this particularly long series. Even though I had not read a book for entertainment in a very long time, and I knew it was going to be a challenge to finish even the first book. When I actually did pick up the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, I was completely shocked at how easily it caught my attention and how effortless it was to immerse myself into the story. I was particularly curious about how much I was enjoying these children’s book even at the age of thirteen. Through all seven books and more than 4100 pages, the Harry Potter series changed my life drastically. It taught me many life lessons and gave me back the passion and adoration of books I had as a child.
Along with the fact that the Harry Potter series successfully gave me back my love for books, the books also unexpectedly gave me an amazing and supportive group of friends that I could relate to. Middle school was a rough time for me. From new teachers to a completely new school, not to mention the many problems at home, middle school was not a very delightful experience for me. Going through middle school I had the usual, “casual” friends, but I rarely had any friends I could really talk and laugh with. Harry Potter changed all of this, opening a whole new world for me. I found people around me and in my class that I never really talked to, but who were a lot like me, shy and secluded yet funny and imaginative. Through something extremely small and insignificant such as a book series, I found many new amazing friends that without them I’m not sure where I would be.
Along with the ways Harry Potter changed me in my social life, the books also changed my personal life by teaching many life lessons. There are not many books I’ve read that have truly impacted my life by teaching me vital life lessons in the way that Harry Potter did. There are many lessons one can learn inside the wonderful world of Harry Potter. Through her wonderful characters and adventurous plot, J.K. Rowling has cleverly and affectively placed meaningful lessons throughout the entire series anyone can learn. For me, it was hard not to get anything from the books. They were so detailed and appealing; making me wants to keep reading and never put it down. I have learned many life lessons from reading the Harry Potter series that honestly changed my outlook on life and impacted me personally.
The first one is the fact that life is a journey, not only the destination. This is one of my favorite life lessons I’ve learned from Harry Potter, especially since I am now a senior in high school and time seems to be quickly running out of my hands. Through both middle and high school, I have had many rough and bumpy roads I’ve had to go down. Through Harry Potter, I have begun to understand that the many experiences we go through, whether good or bad, are the ones that mold and shape us to the people we become. I have now learned not to want time to pass, but instead treasure every minute God has given me.
The second lesson I learned that absolutely changed my life was the fact that you don’t need much in order to live a happy, authentic, and rich life. Throughout the series, Harry only has two true friends, Ron and Hermione, and countless enemies. Also, Ron and Hermione stuck beside Harry through all the troubling times, and were always there for support and companionship. I have learned through Harry Potter that I don’t need to be popular or have many friends in order to be happy. With the handful of friends that Harry Potter has introduced me to, I have a group of very supportive and loyal true friends.
From reintroducing me to my love of reading, introducing me to new friends, and teaching vital and valuable life lessons, Harry Potter has done some huge and spectacular things in my life; I can’t picture my life without Harry Potter. I’m not sure what my life would be like without the series, but I’m sure it would be dull and depressing. I might not have the same friends I have now, or I might not be quite the same person with the same personality as I have now. You may not think that just 7 books could change someone’s life in such a way, but it truly has for me. Ann Quindlen completely captures all the emotion and feeling about Harry Potter, and how it has impacted me in such a huge way, in just two sentences, saying, “In books I have traveled, not only to other worlds, but into my own. I learned who I was and who I wanted to be, what I might aspire to, and what I might dare to dream about my world and myself.”
Works Cited
Quindlen, Anna. How Reading Changed My Life. New York: Ballantine Pub. Group, 1998. Print.
Cited: Quindlen, Anna. How Reading Changed My Life. New York: Ballantine Pub. Group, 1998. Print.
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