Melissa and Nonfiction

I awoke with a smack, as my cheek caught the corner of my desk.  My copy of Richard Hofstadter's The American Political Tradition clunked to the floor and I quickly wiped the drool that had collected at the corner of my mouth.  Eighth grade civics class was not my favorite class, to say the least, and sleeping through most of it was not uncommon.  

Reading nonfiction has always been a challenge for me; as it is, I am easily distracted.  I am a daydreamer, and no matter how hard I try, I cannot focus on the facts in front of me.  As a student, I spent hours reading and re-reading, only to find that I could not absorb the information necessary.  My "go-to" strategy was reading out loud and jotting notes about what stuck with me.  It was infuriating and daunting.

As an adult, I try to embrace my nonfiction challenge.  Over the years, I have found a genre that has been kind to me:  Historical Fiction.  If I can read a story, I can interact.  Historical fiction has opened doors into the world of nonfiction that I would never approach.  When my role as a teacher shifted to include history and politics, I was prepared for the challenge.  Instead of tackling Richard Hofstadter, I grab a novel like the Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick, or an edgy spy adventure by Ken Follet.  These books pique my interest and pave the way for me to venture out into the more challenging nonfiction texts that follow.  

Honestly, over the years, I have worked hard at developing my nonfiction tolerance.  And I have come to realize that, as an adult, I am more interested in the world around me.  I am intrigued by the lives that my peers have led; reading about the Pilgrims and the sacrifices they endured; putting myself into the shoes of Malala Yousafzai and Saroo Brierley, two incredible individuals, to say the least...I feel that these perspectives have helped me become a more tolerant, compassionate, and overall, better person.  So, if reading nonfiction enables me to interact with the world in a more positive manner, you can bet that I will keep working on my endurance.  Bring it on, Hofstadter.