Why I Love Reading and Writing: A Journey of Imagination, Growth, and Connection

Editor’s Note: Welcome to The Ledger, a space where ideas, inspiration, and imagination come to life. Whether you’re here for a book recommendation, an author spotlight, or a thought-provoking story, The Ledger is all about exploring what fuels growth and connection.

For me, reading and writing have always been more than hobbies—they’re tools for self-discovery, understanding the world, and sparking conversations that matter. With The Ledger, I hope to share that passion and create a space where we can learn, grow, and connect together. Let’s start the journey.

An author being interviewed about his book. Stock image

I didn’t go to preschool like my siblings.

As the youngest of four children, my mom decided it was best for me to stay home with her while the family adjusted to life in a new town. I spent a brief stint at KinderCare, but for reasons I never fully understood, my mom pulled me out.

Most days, it was just the two of us at home. Together, we watched Romper Room, Captain Kangaroo, and Sesame Street. But what I remember most are the trips to the library—frequent pilgrimages to a place where I could pick out anything I wanted to read.

Books about Black heroes were a staple in my reading diet. I didn’t think much about it then; it was just part of my world. But looking back, I realize how intentional my mom must have been in shaping my understanding of who I could be and where I came from.

At the time, my father was starting a new job at UPS just outside Cleveland, Ohio. He moved us to Medina, a small suburban town about 20 minutes away, because he’d heard from colleagues that the schools were good. It was a town of about 25,000 people, dotted with farms, cows, and fields stretching for miles. But there weren’t many families there who looked like us.

As a kid, I didn’t have the words for it, but I felt the weight of being different. It wasn’t always easy to understand why my experience didn’t align with what I saw in books or on TV—or even with the lives of the kids around me.

It wasn’t until I became an adult, a parent myself, that I began to fully grasp what my parents had been doing. They were carving out a space for us in a town that wasn’t built with us in mind. They were setting us up for opportunities they hadn’t had, ensuring that our world was expansive, even when our environment wasn’t.

The Seed of a Love for Reading

By the time I went to kindergarten, I could tell time and read. I even got to peck away on a typewriter. School was only a half-day, so I spent the afternoons back at home with my mom or at the library. This is where the seed was planted that blossomed into my love of books.

Storytelling became an enchanted escape. Puppet shows and fantastical stories at the library sparked my imagination and always stuck with me.

In school, I often felt like the odd one out. My sister, who was three years older, was the only other person in the school who looked like me. I didn’t think much about it until classmates pointed out that my hair was “fuzzy” or said I had a “really good tan.”

By first grade, I started to hate school. It disrupted the routine my mom and I had built. I cried often, and teachers would bring in my sister to calm me down. “I can’t go back home?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “You don’t get out at noon anymore, but you do get recess now.”

That silver lining helped me adjust. Eventually, I accepted my new reality. And while school was a big change, one thing remained constant—my love for reading. Stories fascinated me, and my imagination thrived.

BookIt! and the Magic of Earning

My love for books deepened in elementary school with the BookIt! program. If you’re unfamiliar, it worked like this: read a book, write a report, and earn a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.

Those pizzas felt like gold. No one else in my family got one because they didn’t earn it—I did. It was my thing, and it felt special. At the time, I thought it was all about the pizza. Looking back, I see it was about much more.

BookIt! taught me how to work for something. It wasn’t just about reading a book; it was about thinking deeply, reflecting on the story, and writing something coherent and meaningful. Without realizing it, I was building skills in reading comprehension, writing, and even reporting—skills that still shape how I approach writing and storytelling today.

Books as Fuel for Growth

My love of books didn’t stop with personal pan pizzas. As I grew older, reading became a way to nourish my mind, especially as a leader. Books aren’t just entertainment or knowledge—they’re fuel. They keep me growing, thinking, and exploring new ideas.

Now, I’m the guy who always has a book recommendation ready. Whether it’s something that inspired me, challenged me, or taught me a lesson, I love sharing books that have impacted me. Just as much, I enjoy hearing what others are reading.

The Ledger Sheet: A Space for Readers

This love for books inspired me to create The Ledger Sheet on The Balance Sheet HQ. I see

it as a space to do three things:

Share the books I’m reading and the lessons I’ve learned.
Highlight authors I admire—people whose words have changed the way I think or live.
Give readers like you a place to share recommendations and join the conversation.

Books have always been a way for me to connect—with ideas, with other people, and with myself. The Ledger Sheet is my way of keeping that connection alive and growing it into something bigger.

Closing Thought

Looking back, those early trips to the library and those personal pan pizzas shaped me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. They taught me the value of earning something, of working through ideas, and of sharing what I’ve learned.

Books are still my way of growing and connecting, and I hope The Ledger Sheet becomes a place where you can find that same inspiration.

Delano’s Book List

Some books that have impacted me:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Linchpin by Seth Godin
Come Home to Yourself by Deja Rae
Chasing Failure by Ryan Leak
When God Winks by Squire Rushnell
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Be Water, My Friend by Shannon Lee
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Crazy Faith by Michael Todd