This photo was taken in January of this year. The significance of it is regarding my love of books (and cds). Over the past years, book and music stores have been closed. And it appears to be a global misfortune. It was very exciting for me, to be able to visit stores, to shop for various cds and books, whenever I wanted. As a writer, poetry has often been therapeutic for me, along with drawing. I retreated to libraries in high school to escape being bullied by random students. The bullying and teasing was so traumatic for me, that I skipped classes and hid in the library. I avoided going to lunch in the cafeteria, and ignored my hungry stomach. I found comfort in books, reading biographies and autobiographies of individuals, who seemed to relate to my condition and experiences. One of my sisters once told me that "It's good to learn about people who walked the earth before you and kicked butt."
I was different. Books helped me realize that other people existed in the world, who shared similar experiences as myself. I learned to embrace my individuality from extraordinary minds of writers, poets and artists. It inspired me to write poetry to cope with my own mental health and struggles in society. I visited this book store that surprisingly opened and reawakened my hope for places, that remain accessible for people like me.
