Reading and Writing

If you are taking the time to read this, I’d like to talk to you for a moment about something I know a lot about—reading and writing.

I began reading about four and writing (at least my grandmother said it was writing) about seven. As I near seven decades of life, I realize that a large amount of my enjoyable reading was done between the ages of four and fourteen. During those ten years I read for the sake of enjoyment. I didn’t read for the purpose of learning, although I found in years to come I had learned a lot. I didn’t read to prepare myself for a career, although I found that the ability to read helped me make a better living. And I didn’t read because someone told me to. I read for the same reason people like to open presents. Each new book was like a package stuffed full of things I had never experienced before.

            Those who love to read are the ones who understand the basic difference between reading and watching most of what is on TV. Reading makes the mind and imagination do some interesting work or play, while most TV simply doesn’t. The secret to the enjoyment can be found in a statement made by Harriet in Louise Fitzhugh’s “Harriet the Spy.” As Harriet sits down to read she says, “How I love to read. The whole world gets bigger…”

          As I continue to share my thoughts with those who have chosen to read my blogs, my world seems to grow even bigger, or perhaps the world is now smaller than I realized. Thanks for caring enough to be part of my world.