I Didn’t Grow Up Reading, But Now I Can’t Stop Writing

If you told 10-year-old me that I’d be writing blog posts for fun one day, I probably would've laughed and gone back to whatever weird bootleg anime was on TV. Reading just wasn’t part of my world growing up. I was raised in the north of Brazil, and honestly, nobody around me liked books. It wasn’t that people were lazy. It just wasn’t something we did.

I didn’t hate reading. I just didn’t do it. Nobody I knew did. So the idea that I’d one day run a blog where I actually enjoy writing (and researching and editing and all that nerdy stuff) still feels kind of surreal.

But here we are.

Where I’m From (And Why Reading Wasn’t a Thing)

I grew up in the north of Brazil. It was hot, it was loud, and it was home. But back then, reading just wasn’t part of everyday life. At least not where I lived. Most people I knew didn’t sit around with books or talk about stories. We were more into TV, music, games, and just finding something fun to do after school.

What we did have were games. A lot of them. I spent hours playing stuff like Priston Tale, Counter-Strike, and Audition. That was the one where you press arrows on the keyboard to dance. Some of those games are gone now. The servers shut down and you can’t really play them anymore.

We used to go to LAN houses with our friends. We had this thing called corujão where you paid to stay overnight and just game all night long. CS, Audition, whatever we were into at the time. That was the vibe. That was our thing. And honestly, I really miss those days.

Things feel different now. Especially in the country I’m living in right now. That whole vibe of hanging out, gaming together, talking trash with your friends in person. It just isn’t the same anymore.

The First Time I Realized I Liked Writing

I didn’t set out to become a writer. It kind of just happened. At some point, I started messing around with blogging. I was mostly just sharing random thoughts, tech fixes, or stuff I learned while gaming. Nothing serious. But the more I wrote, the more I actually liked it.

There’s something weirdly satisfying about taking all the chaos in your head and turning it into words that make sense to someone else. I’d write something, post it, and then go back and reread it like, “Wait, did I actually write this?” That feeling kept pulling me back.

I didn’t think of it as writing at first. It felt more like talking to someone. Just me and the keyboard. No pressure. No rules. But eventually, I realized I’d found something I genuinely enjoy. Something I actually look forward to doing. And now, I can’t stop.

Learning Never Stops (Especially With AI Now)

I’ll be honest. This isn’t my first blog. It’s actually my third. I started one, gave up. Tried again, gave up. Life got busy or I lost motivation or maybe I just didn’t feel like anyone cared. But this time feels different. This time, I’m not giving up.

There’s something really nice about showing up for yourself, even when no one is watching. Writing, learning, sharing. It builds up over time. I didn’t expect it to teach me this much. Every post pushes me to learn something new. And once I got that momentum, I didn’t want to stop.

What’s wild is how much easier it is to learn now. AI changed everything. Back then, I would spend hours trying to figure out some random fix or idea. Now I can get answers way faster. Some people say that makes us lazy. I get where they are coming from, but honestly, I don’t see it that way.

I think it depends on how you use it. If you rely on AI to do everything for you, maybe you stop thinking. But if you use it to understand things, to study, to test stuff out and then try it on your own, that is a whole different story. That is where it becomes a tool, not a crutch.

I try to use AI to actually learn, not to avoid learning. So later, I won’t need it as much. It is like training wheels. Very helpful at the start, but eventually you ride on your own.

Why I’ll Probably Never Quit This

At this point, blogging is part of my routine. Not just as a hobby, but as something that helps me feel more connected to myself. I don’t always know who’s reading, and that’s okay. I still write. I still post. I still get excited every time I learn something new and turn it into a story or a guide.

The funny part is, I used to think I wasn’t creative. I didn’t grow up writing stories or reading books. But now, I can’t stop. It’s like I found this version of myself that was always there, just waiting to be noticed.

Will I keep doing this forever? Probably. Even if it changes forms, even if I end up writing about totally different stuff, I don’t see myself stopping. Not because I have to. But because I actually want to.

And maybe that’s the best part.

Maybe You Should Try It Too

If you have ever thought about starting a blog or a YouTube channel, just go for it. It does not have to be perfect. You do not need to wait for the right moment either. Just start putting things out there.

For me, it became something I actually enjoy. I have learned a lot along the way and I am still learning. It is not about being an expert. It is about building something that feels like yours.

I share more stuff like this on my blog at byalexdavid.com, in case you want to check it out.

And remember, a year from now you might wish you had started today. So why not start now?