A Life's Reading Revisited

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.

----Charles W. Eliot

This posting was inspired by a number of other Bloggers, notably Red Dirt Mule, Reya, Megan, Steve and Avid Reader. All recalled their childhood books with ease, resulting in a cascade of memories for yours truly.

First, let me confess to never having read The Secret Garden adored by so many. My earliest memories involve trips to the library on Saturdays. We lived three thousand miles beyond the U.S. and packages were always a treat. Mine, which came regularly, were selections from a Children's Book of the Month Club, and a magazine, still available today, Highlights for Children. I also sometimes received books as gifts. The Little Prince, Charlotte's Web, and E. B. White's Stuart Little, among them.

My grandmother, who lived relatively close by, saved her children's well-read books, hence I was also privy to the Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew series, as well as Brr Rabbit, The Jungle Book, Ba bar and a host of others. They were kept in a large hall closet. I discovered many of them on my own just by being a bit nosey!

Later, teachers offered books as prizes for well-learnt spelling words, successfully completed projects and rises in reading levels. Some of these enticements included Little Women, A Tale of Two Cities, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Hans Christian Andersen, Bullfinch's' Mythology and Call of the Wild. The brother's Grimm and their fairy tales stood beside my very first dictionary, later supplanted by Roget's Thesaurus and a book of Alice Walker poems.

My first attempt at serious adult reading occurred at fifteen when I tackled the '70's classic, The Greening of America, by Robert Reich, for a school report. I also read books on the history of Panama, collections of Latin American authors, and Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, for good measure.

I regularly read before bed, and have developed eclectic interests and tastes, largely due to early habits and accessibility to books and magazines. Red Dirt Mule's contention that books are magical and can bound the world for curious children was true for me as well. I have scores of teachers, librarians and friends and relatives to thank for my life time of reading, a gift people often take for granted.

One of the darkest books I've read recently involves a woman who is illiterate until she is sent to a German prison, largely for making horrible choices in an effort to hide both her illiteracy and the shame she feels surrounding it.

My fondest dream is that everyone learn to read and love reading. Without that love, we all will assuredly be lost, our world and perspectives barren of ideas, creativity or the pleasure of learning.

Until Next Time...