I read To Kill A Mockingbird constantly. I’m one hundred percent obsessed.

Lately, most of my friends have asked me why I reread it so much.

So here we go.

To Kill A Mockingbird was first introduced into my life by my 9th-grade teacher. She wasn’t supposed to teach it to us, but she felt so strongly that the story mattered that she chose to introduce us to it.

In 9th-grade I was completely unaware of the significance this book would have in my life. I wasn’t yet able to fully appreciate it. While looking for something to read in 11th-grade, I picked the book back up.

Since that reading, it’s become a staple in my life. Every few weeks I reread it. I soak it in. I let it stir up my feelings and awaken my eyes to the hurt that is evident in the world.

History repeats itself. The world will always have something to be divided over.

When we choose to act in love; rooted in truth, we experience a whole new world. We can come to understand the people around us.

We bridge cultural gaps. Age and race are no longer a point of division, but a place of strength as we understand the value that diversity brings.

The world is full of incredibly interesting places filled with even more intriguing people. We have the power to be fascinated with our differences.

I spend time reading To Kill A Mockingbird because I believe in the value of living so simply. It’s actually quite profound. In making our private character our public character. In accepting defeat but understanding that sometimes the heroic act is fighting the war anyway. It lies in understand that we don’t have to be what people expect us to be.

To Kill A Mockingbird will forever be a classic to me because the best way to learn about the present, is to study the past.