Growing up, some of the best, well-traveled people I have known never stepped on a plane to go anywhere, but the way they talked about faraway places, you’d think they had a fully stamped passport. One of those people was my mother, who enjoyed reading both fiction and nonfiction books. She loved reading great books that took her places where she dreamed to travel, both physically and mentally. Books that inspired action, books that inspired new ideas, and books that inspired dreams. She finally began traveling during her married life when her children were teenagers, and she loved it. Reading not only enriched her travels around the world, it also made her consider (or reconsider) the impossible, and forced her to imagine beyond boundaries.
So when we say, “Reading is Dreaming With Our Eyes Open,” it can easily be construed as the connection between authors – the storytellers – and readers, and how their words capture a reader’s imagination. Imagine that. A vivid imagination turns dreams into a reality prompted by well-crafted words that jump off the page. While summer reading gets all the hype, winter reading has its advantages, and I think winter is a great time to read and daydream.
Think of it. Staying home to read is a perfectly valid excuse when it’s snowing or super cold outside. You can waste away the entire day (or days) burrowed under piles of fuzzy blankets, curled up by a fire (or radiator) with a book and a big glass of red wine (or hot cocoa or a mug of coffee), getting swept away by whatever meets your fancy.
When was the last time we used the word dream as a catalyst, a tool for change, or as a subject of inspiration? They are the unconscious and untapped reservoir of ambition, hope, and potential within us asking to be released into this world. You may dream of flying, but maybe you’re meant to rise above a struggle in your life. And reading a book can prompt dreaming, including those that are recurring or even brand new dreams that points you in a new direction.
Don’t bound yourself with the idea that grand and incomprehensible things are only allowed when our eyes are closed. Don’t be restricted by the “foolishness” of a dream but be interested instead. And don’t be scared to expand your reading by trying new genres, topics, or revisit books you’ve already read. Reading and dreaming are as adventurous as you want them to be.
Happy winter reading!
