“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go. The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” 

Those are couple of the more famous and favorite quotes of mine from Dr. Seuss. In honor of his birthday, the month of March is designated as National Reading Month. This month is used to promote the fun reading provides and its many benefits, regardless of your age.

Reading is a key component of education and the professional development that comes with it. There are immediate and long-lasting benefits that are associated with reading, such as increased cognitive function, memory, vocabulary, empathy and decreased levels of stress. Personally, there have been predetermined thoughts or beliefs I have held in the past. Thanks to reading on a particular topic, I have altered my own opinion on various things. It is very easy to be close-minded if you are not continuing to educate yourself and learn new things.

Although we promote reading during the month of March, which is something to celebrate, the amount of youth reading and their test scores for reading are on the decline across the United States. I don’t have to look any further than my own household. I have always been an avid reader; however, my two sons have not had the same interest in reading books. Although I have tried to promote the same love of reading with them, they have not shown this same interest.

There have been countless studies that show that children who regularly read with their loved ones have better language skills and are more emotionally intelligent. But it is not just kids who are reading less, but adults too. A 2021 poll by Gallup showed that Americans read an average of 12.6 books in that year. This poll showed this was roughly two or three fewer books per year than the period between 2001 and 2016.

The key comes down to finding an author, character or topic, that is interesting to you. After doing this, find the time that works best for you to dive into the book you have found. My favorite time to read is at night before going to bed. These are the times I find my mind most at ease and free of clutter, which helps me take in what I am reading. Like a lot of things, what works for one person may not work for another. 

In the end, instead of playing the video game you may have, I encourage you to find a book of interest to you and dive into it. As Walt Disney has stated in the past, “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on ‘Treasure Island’.” I’ll say this: get caught reading in Mecosta County.

_{Article courtesy of Mecosta County Sheriff Brian Miller as a part of a monthly editorial.}