I’ve Been Holding All Of My Books Upside Down Since 1994 And Reading Has Been A Nightmare

They say that we are creatures of habit, and believe me, some habits are harder to break than others. However, taking the time to actually break those habits can really pay off, and I should know. I’ve been holding all of my books upside down since 1994 and reading has been an absolute nightmare.

Honestly, I barely even remember how this started. I learned to read when I was 3, so I must have been holding books the right way for about a year, but when 1994 rolled around, my hands started to immediately and automatically rotate my books upside down. Maybe I was silently rebelling against the patterns set forth by society, but whatever the reason, books became a frighteningly difficult endeavor.

Books were everywhere throughout my childhood! Whether I was in English class, History class, or even Math class, someone had printed a book to go along with it! I couldn’t understand who had written this foreign alphabet that was so different from the one that I’d learned before, but the only letters I recognized were lowercase “l’s,” uppercase “I’s,” and “H’s,” as well as all forms of “x’s” and “o’s.” I wondered why we were taught one system only to immediately have it be supplanted by a separate system specific only to books.

I struggled my way through the public education system, which seemed to favor those who had grown up learning the garbled mess of a language present in all books, and made it to college, where I made sure to only receive materials via my computer. Luckily, computers were harder to use when they were upside down, so I never ran into the problem that I'd had with books.

It wasn’t until last week that I was even aware of my problem. I was asked to write a book about my experiences as a martial arts instructor, and when I got the printed version, I went straight to my publisher and told her that the book was printed upside down. She gently took the book from me and placed it in my hands the right way, but my hands automatically rotated the book once again. She pointed out to me that I had a habit of holding my books upside down. This was the first time that anyone had called attention to my condition.

Now, I’m in the middle of a 21-day challenge, in which I must try to hold a book the right way for at least 21 consecutive days. Though it hasn’t been easy, I can say that it has been rewarding to see the value in books once again. I cannot wait to enjoy books the way that the rest of the world has for so long. For the past 12 years, my condition has been my nightmare, but now, overcoming it has become my dream.