|
|
|
|
One of my daughter’s friends was over yesterday. She took a break from playing to come find me, where I was sweating on my recumbent exercise bike (lovely contraption) and reading The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke. She looked first at my set-up — a music stand with the book pinned to it with clothespins — and studied that for a while. Then our conversation went like this:
Girl: “Is that your homework?”
Me: “No.”
Girl: “Then what are you doing?”
Me: “Reading a book.”
Confused silence. And then the question… “Why?”
Aah! Stab me in the heart. I babbled some answer about how it’s fun, I enjoy reading, it’s good for my brain…but all the while I’m thinking, has this girl never seen anyone read a book when they didn’t have to?
Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions. Maybe the fact that she’s only five had something to do with it. But holy moly. I about cried.
People spend so much time these days talking about how young people don’t read, how our kids are growing up without a book in their hands for any part of the day. The question is…why not? Folks like to lay the blame many places — teachers, No Child Left Behind, video games, movies, even sports. But how about the good old fashioned idea of having your children see you read a book? Or a magazine? Even if it’s People?
My son is not one to choose to sit down with a book. He’d rather be playing a video game or running around in the basement, playing Moon Ball with his dad. (Moon ball being a game with a glow-in-the-dark ball that gets thrown at opponents, the game ending when someone gets hit too hard) But he’s a good reader, and when I give him something he likes (like those Captain Underpants books I mentioned a couple of weeks ago) he’ll read it in the car, in his bed, on the sofa… I figure I choose books I like, I might as well find books he likes, too, even if they do revolve mostly around toilets and Cafeteria Lady Zombies. (Come to think of it, that last idea sounds like something Casey could use)
I certainly do my part in showing my kids that I enjoy reading. And I have to say, neither of them ever asks me why I’m reading. They’re much more likely to ask what the book is about, or what page I’m on, or how long it’s taken me to read that many pages.
Of course my little visitor’s parents are nice people. And they’re good parents. But I hope that after today she won’t need to ask anyone why they’re reading a book. Because she’ll understand that sometimes people do it just for fun.
-
Judy…..its a different,strange new world out there to say the least.
Yesterday we had our cable television/high speed internet/ VOIP phone guy in to address a television reception problem. While he was working we chatted about this and that. He needed to determine the number of cable tv outlet we had and used. There are two outlets in our living room. When we move our furniture around, we have the flexability of locating the tv here….or there. Well the cable guy said, “so you don’t ever use both of these outlets at the same time?” I of course responded with a currently outdated comment saying ” who would watch two televisions in the same room at the same time? There’s nothing on to watch to start with!”
Whoops….why of course he had two tv’s in the same room and used them both at the same time! He went on to say his monthly cable bill…for television alone was $228.00/mo. He said he had it all….every premiun channel available with a dvr gizmo to record things he could not watch while they were on and even record complete seasons of shows automatically by telling it to find let say “House MD” and record it. Additionally, he had digital, which gave him twice the number of stations we have plus music of every brand….oldies, jazz, top 40, etc plus a whole bunch of other things I had trouble understanding. I responded with gee, the only reason we have cable is because we can’t pull in a signal with the old fashion rabbit ears…nothing at all! Besides, there is nothing on to watch anyway, so I was thinking of disconnecting.
Then…..he agreed that there was nothing on to watch! Told you when I started this “its a different,strange new world out there”.
So I threw out the idea of reading a book…and told him my latest read was about
“a Mennonite dairy farmer who trades in her motorcycle for a jet ski and goes from island to island in the Carribean solving crimes for the ghosts inhabiting local cemeteries”….he just gave me this blank stare!
Z
by Zorro
on February 21st, 2008 at 8:05 am
-
Very scary, Zorro.
Last night we had the TV on and a commercial came on that features the music of a singer/songwriter we like. I heard it, and immediately said, “Hey, isn’t that Martin Sexton?” Steve looked at me strangely and said, “Haven’t you ever heard that before?” I said, “No.” He said, “It’s been on a bezillion times. I guess if you actually *watched* TV once in a while, you would’ve seen it!” I chose to take it as a compliment. : )
by Judy
on February 21st, 2008 at 8:58 am
-
Here’s a sad little story that says something about the joy of reading:
Last Sunday my brother once again bragged that he has only read one book cover to cover in his “entire life.” It was when he was in junior high and he read a biography of John Audubon for a book report. “I really liked that book,” he said. “It was about the kind of things I like.” His eyes were twinkling.
I was tempted to point out that there are many books out there about the kinds of things he likes. But I held my tongue. He’s almost 60. He’s never been a reader and never will be. He reads the local paper, his seed catalogs and once in a while an article about tractors or guns or something. But books –ychhhhhhhhhhh.
The amazing things is that he is always asking me questions about my books. What’s it about. When’s it going to be finished. What’s taking me so long. How many did I sell. Does my publisher want another one. He is very proud of me. But he wil never read one of my books. Or anybody’s books.
Wait, I’ve just had a great idea. Right this minute as I’m typing this: I’m going to get him a book on John Audubon for his 60th birthday this June.
by C.R.
on February 21st, 2008 at 9:48 am
-
Weird, isn’t it. There are those of us who value books . . . and others who simply don’t. I remember the day I got my first library card. I remember walking through the main library in downtown Cleveland just exploring, checking out every nook and cranny to see what books were hiding there. We always read to our kids. Always. Books at quiet time, books at bedtime. Neither is a huge reader, but they both read books. So maybe it’s simply some disconnect some people have. Too bad. They’re missing out on a lot.
by Casey
on February 21st, 2008 at 9:58 am
-
This morning I opened my e mail to find a letter from the mother of a 17 year old boy who says ‘he doesn’t read much.’ He received a copy of Stuff To Die For and mom says he read 100 pages in the first day. Finished it in less than a week. He apparently loved it, and tried to share the characters, plot and story with her. She had to shut him up before he spoiled it and gave away the ending. He was very disappointed to find that the next “Stuff” won’t be out till September.
It’s nice to know that people read your books. It’s even nicer when someone who doesn’t read much at all wants ‘more’.
by Don
on February 21st, 2008 at 9:59 am
-
Here’s a good one!
Don’t know if this is a good thing??or bad??—from today’s news…
MEDINA - Three Victorian homes near Medina’s historic town square will be torn down to make way for a library parking lot.
Preservation groups attempted to save the homes, believed to have been built in the late, 19th century. But grant money for restoration of the homes recently fell through.
In January, the Medina County District Library opened a new, $20 million branch in downtown Medina.
But limited parking is forcing library patrons to park at a nearby business and the county courthouse.
After purchasing the three Victorian home properties for $280,000, the library district plans to gain about 30 more parking spaces.
“From the library’s standpoint, we did try to work with all the parties to achieve a solution,” said Carole Kowell, director of the Medina County District Library. “Certainly we want the history of the square to be preserved as well. That’s why we came back to the square.
“We’ve got to have parking. Right now, 1,500 people a day are visiting the Medina library,” Kowell said.
The current owner of the homes will take care of their demolition.
Kowell expects the parking lot will be finished before the end of the year.
Z
by Zorro
on February 21st, 2008 at 10:19 am
-
Zorro,
Here’s the story on the old houses.
Twentry-five years ago or so a local lawyer bought them up and called them “Victorian Village.” They were old houses not really inhabitable as homes. So over the years there have been antique shops, beauty salons, etc. They have been all been empty for a while now. They are in horrible shape. It would take a zilion bucks to restore them.
So while generally I favor saving old houses and other buildings, these unfortunately should go.
And speaking of the new library in Medina! Wow! I went there last Sunday for the first time and it’s incredible inside. A few years ago the library board put a levy on the ballot to build a new library on the outskirts of town. Voters said no. And so they came up with a plan to remodel and expand the downtown library. And, like I said, Wow! We’ve got to do a dog and pony show there folks. I’ll check into it.
by Administrator
on February 21st, 2008 at 11:06 am
-
I just got Casey’s plea for help on the spam. I deleted what was there. And I see what she means. Although I don’t know why she just doesn’t twitch her nose and turn them into glowing praise for our books.
This spam job would be a good job for Zorro, don’t you think? We could offer him some hoity toity title like Assistant Administrator for Despaminization.
by Administrator
on February 21st, 2008 at 11:15 am
-
Now I see Casey’s game now. In order to delete spam you have to sign in as the administrator and then you are forever the administrator. Like some wicked game of cooties.
Anyway, the two posts above are by me.
by C.R.
on February 21st, 2008 at 11:20 am
-
I’m big into cool titles….thats why I’m so poor!
Z
by Zorro
on February 21st, 2008 at 11:22 am
-
Bless you, CR! All help is much appreciated!
by Casey
on February 21st, 2008 at 12:00 pm
-
I am a huge reader. My husband is not. What is really cool about this is that when my husband saw how much I read (and I read a LOT) he started reading more. Not as much as I would like him to, but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. My kids are readers too. My youngest (8) is currently into Snoopy comics. I’m ok with that because he is reading. My older two kids (13,11) are into the Dragonlance books and have started reading Terry Brooks. I’m so proud!!! I’ve had a kid ask me the same question and I think it’s sad that they haven’t had the exposure to reading for pleasure.
by Pam Adamson
on February 21st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
-
Hey CR…how do yor read so much when you read backwards?
Is this a Chinese thing?
Z
by Zorro
on February 21st, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Leave a Reply
|
|
|
