I’m Nika. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
I’m a law student based in Chicago, Illinois. I grew up in Chicago’s northern suburbs, studied History at New York University, and came back home to go to law school at the University of Chicago. When I’m not studying, I play Middle Eastern percussion, spend time with my wonderful friends and family, cook, do pilates, and, of course, read!
Where does “The Bookish Sheep” come from?
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is my absolute favorite book. In short, it tells the story of the friendship that blossoms between a pilot stranded in the desert and a “little prince” who finds himself a long way from his home on Asteroid 325. Upon first meeting the pilot, the Little Prince asks him: “will you draw me a sheep?” The pilot tries several times to draw a sheep for his new acquaintance, but the Little Prince rejects one after the other. Ultimately, the pilot draws a box with a few small holes in it. He says “this is only his box. The sheep you asked for is inside.” The pilot is “very surprised to see a light break over the face of [his] young judge,” who says “that is exactly the way I wanted it!”
Whenever I re-read this passage, I feel as if the Little Prince could’ve just as easily replaced “draw me a sheep” with “use your imagination.” Making time in my day to cultivate the joyful creativity we’re all born with (that many of us lose as a side-effect of adulthood) is very important to me, and that’s why I love to read. Reading is quiet. It gives me the sensory margin to build worlds in my head, inspired only by words on a page. It gives me the room to feel empathy in the circumstances of others, or to reflect on my own life based on the story in front of me. I love having the space to learn with an author who’s spent years working to understand a particular topic. All these experiences employ the imagination in a way I think the Little Prince would applaud. My goal is to use this platform to share how I use reading to spark joy in my life, so it feels natural to use my blog’s title to invite you all to be “bookish sheep” with me.