Infinite Lessons

My mom has recommended books to me since i was little. Reading was always something I enjoyed. I could sit hours reading a book that I deeply connect with. This year in AP English, Mrs. Caffey did expose to us what good literature is, and that is when the author's words relate to you in all possible ways.

One day my mom brought home a book for me. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a book that makes you feel like you’ve lost a piece of yourself once you finish it. But at the same time you come out of the book as a new person that has learned so much about yourself and the world around you.

If you haven’t heard about The Perks of Being a Wallflower, it is a story about Charlie, a boy entering high school. He is innocent but damaged. He is socially awkward and naïve; he enjoys listening to odd bands; and he loves literature. The whole book is a combination of letters he writes to an anonymous person to convey his thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Charlie is a very relatable character to every teenager that has ever experienced pain, confusion, and trouble with self-discovery. The reader feels like they are one with Charlie, they feel joy when he feels joy, and cry when he's sad. Through Charlie’s experiences we all learn about ourselves and about the people around us, with great quotes and an amazing story, it’s quite impossible not to be effected by this book.

“So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.” 

This quote from the book is the definition of hope, people who come from dysfunctional lives don't have to take it negatively. This quote shows us that we should first of all accept who we are and the fact that we don’t get to choose where we come from. This thought sometimes makes people feel powerless, like they have no control over their lives.  However, we do have the power and ability to change our lives and choose what to do with it. I think the most important aspects of this quote is that it is a great feeling to know that you are your own person and you have the power to the limitless possibilities. This quote teaches us to look at things from a different perspective, it’s simple but effective; we have the power to do anything and go anywhere no matter where we are now and what we’ve been through.

“I think that if I ever have kids, and they are upset, I won't tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn't change the fact that they were upset. And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have.”

It’s okay to feel sad. We are raised in a society where they teach us that feeling bad is not okay, but that isn’t true, everyone has their bad days and it’s okay to feel sad and let yourself cry. We should never feel like we are bad people because of the things that make us feel sad, even while some people are having it worse. People are constantly hearing the words ‘many people have it worse.’ which causes us to be tricked into believing that we shouldn’t feel down. it is true that whatever you may be going through, someone out there is going through something worse, but don’t confuse feeling bad with not being grateful. They are two complete different things that people associate with one another. Be grateful for what you have but know that feeling upset is absolutely fine, it’s something natural and never apologize or feel bad for the things that make you

This book has done wonders to my soul and my thoughts. Everyone will have their struggles but it's important to endure strength and optimism to get through it. Most importantly, books hold infinite lessons inside them. Throughout life, you write your own book as you go.