What have books taught me?

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Theme: Can books and stories about characters and events that are not real teach us anything useful? Write about it this weekend.

See, my excitement is not unjustified. I can say with complete and utter confidence that I am what I read. I am the outcome of every book I've read. My reactions, my eccentricities are all inspired by books. Books don't just give me an escape, they give me a alternate reality.

This post I make out to Harry Potter, the series that has literally taught me everything I need to know about people. The first time I picked Harry Potter up was because I was out of things to read because my 7th (Board) exams were nearing and my parents had asked me stop wasting time on reading books and start studying. 2 books in the series were out and I had just picked up Sorcerer's Stone in the month of March, so you see HOW close to  the exam I picked the book. And instantly I was sitting up late nights reading and re-reading Harry Potter, the only book that held in a tight hug and never let go. I've not outgrown it, I've not forgotten it, hell I've not stopped reading it.

Many people think, Harry Potter is a children's book, even I thought that is what it was, I was 13 years old and this was a story of a little boy  who has magical powers and how his life changes because of it. But Harry Potter is not about magic at all, Harry Potter is about people, people you can see in any context. The emotions are too human and the reactions as well. Harry Potter is about a child who grows up into a person he is both hurt and happy, he has scars and he is flawed, he is far from perfect and accepts himself inspite of it.

All the characters in the book are relatable and loveable at that. When the book started Harry who lives with his aunt, uncle and cousin who mistreat him, more often than not, I relate to this sentiment, people are often treated like outsiders amongst   people they call their own. I know what it feels like to be left outside the group, I know what it feels like to be a misfit. I know quite a lot of people who find relief in being away from home. It makes me wonder what could possibly be so bad that people would rather they stayed at work work overtime?

Harry Potter throws light on various emotions, friendship happiness, grief, loss, love, jealousy, regret,courage, cruelty. J K Rowling spins a magical tale of various human emotions, the characters are simply instruments that play out this wonderful epic. Harry Potter is not Harry Potter if you do not take into account the friendship that Ron and Harry share, the no pretenses, no facade, the brotherhood, the real essence of friendship which includes  Ron's readiness to die for Harry. Add Hermione to this combination and what you have is a trio that would literally define what friendship between two people of different genders is like. I hold Harry and Hermione high up there, I shove their example in people's faces when they say "but girls and boys can't be best friends". The intelligent one, the strong woman, she is a feminist icon if I've seen one. To think that everyone in the magical community should be treated as an equal. I love how on various occasion she has been the one to save Harry and Ron she has never once left Harry's side. Speaking of friendship, it always goes without saying that friendship is complicated, people who are unlike you may end up being your truest companions, this statement also extends to Luna and Neville.

Harry Potter is a saga of love, the love that a child shares with his parents, the close knit family like the Weasley's that share with Harry even when his own shun him, often in life you will find those who show you love you even when they don't have to.They will share with you that which even they don't have in  abundance.

Harry Potter taught me about compassion, about love, about trust, about hope about faith, about death and about life.  Harry Potter taught me about people, friendships and fun!