The power of reading by Mia

The power of reading by Mia - October 2023 Scholarship Essay

My love for literature comes from what books can teach you and how they can impact you. Knowledge is power, but using knowledge is critical. You don't know what Tourette's is like till you read about it from someone with its perspective. Is it a pain in the butt! Annoying for the person with it has much has the outsiders it affects this what I've learned from the book that transformed my life ¨List of Ten¨ by Haili Gomez has well has given me a whole new perspective on the number ten itself. This book not only transformed my confusion about why people with Tourette's make so much noise. Into compassion and patience for those with Tourette's, but it also helped me to shift my daily mindset.

I have dyslexia. For the first few years of my life, up to middle school and the first year of high school, I have had a " love/hate relationship with reading¨. I loved English and enjoyed poetry, but I struggled with comprehension and didn't enjoy reading; I felt slow and dumb and even had to re-read the passage of text to find the answer. I had to start my essay in advance to finish the assignment on time. It's rare for me! Me, Mia J. Hamilton, to check out a book at the library. Reading more changed my perception of English literature from this boring thing I had to do for English class to something where I could gain and learn the author's people's points of view.

I've learned many things about Tourette's. I apologized to my now friend who has it. I didn't know he had Tourette's. I never really understood what Tourettes was in its entirety. Based on the knowledge I've read, I know what he goes through on a more personal level now. I can also see why it wouldn't be something he would want to tell everyone, and secondly, I didn't know how hard it was to live with Tourette's. I don't believe he should be treated differently for what he can't control. People with it struggle with much more day-to-day things than just the loud sounds and ticks we see. I would love for everyone to read ¨List of Ten¨ because it's a prime explanation that you should judge someone just because they're different before getting to know them.