Reading

One thing I have been thinking about is that there are some people who don’t read. It’s not that they can’t read. But they just don’t, unless of course they have to. They have to read the road signs and such or they may not know where they are going. Some reading is required in order to maneuver around on the Television Set. Computers require some reading. Sometimes a lot of reading. If you go to shopping sites like Home Depot for example, you will need to read stuff. If you go to the actual store you will still need to be able to read. So it’s not entirely that they don’t read. These kind of people will never read something just for the pleasure of reading. But they do read. Magazines are picture books and they only read text if it applies to a picture and helping to explain it to them. These people do not read books, whole entire books with no pictures just for fun. Sometimes these people are the doers in our society. People that are always taking care of things and can’t bring their bodies to a stand still unless it’s bedtime. There are such people. They are always moving. Sitting down to read a book would not be a pleasure for them. This kind of person might view such a thing as unpleasant and unnecessary mental exertion. For them there is only one world, and that is the one in which they are involved. My husband is this kind of man. I remember when he had to read for school. Of course his books were 10 inches thick. I couldn’t even lift them. He would open them on the floor of the living room. Then he would read. Not all of it. He would be turning the pages. We were all quiet because Daddy was reading. No Body is quiet because Mommy is reading. Ever. He had several of these books. He stacked them in the corner of the room. They would have made a great table. He got his diploma, passed with the highest scores and the books disappeared. I saw one such book in the garage once. He may have referenced it. Outside of the phone book and on-line stores and the occasional how to use on a can or bottle, or instruction for a new appliance my husband does not read. Ok so he reads for instructional purposes only. I on the other hand, well, what can I say. I love words. Any words. All words. When I was growing up it was like a contest with me to see how many words I could devour in a day. Words were made to be read. All words must be read. The entire cereal box. The label on the back of the fridge. The words inside of clothing. Every single word in sight of a road we were driving down. Every book I could get my hands on. The Bible. I could not get enough of words. My daughter Chloe is the exact same way. Of course words must be read out loud when you are young. I loved books. Chapter books. Books of all genre’s. Some genre’s were unacceptable in our home when I was growing up. These books must be read in the night under the covers with a flashlight. I don’t remember my mother being an avid reader. My mother is a practical person who is always doing. My father was a book person. He created with words. He remembered words of great authors. He gave me a love for writings the likes of Kenneth Grahame, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and CS Lewis. He recited poetry of the greats and he was mysterious in his knowledge of these things. It drew me in. I have done some traveling in my life. Parts of Europe and North America, the British Isles and Scandinavia. I have a limited exposure to other parts of our world. I have met many people from so many different walks in real life. But I have been further and seen so much more through reading. I have lived in ancient times and deep into the future. I have experienced through books much more than I ever could in real life. Reading a book is not the same as watching a movie or documentary. Reading a book is entirely personal. Taking you through words into worlds you would never have dreamed possible. Your own mind making up the pictures as you go. The pictures being more emotion than color. I have buried myself in books before. Losing consciousness to words. At times I have absorbed so many words that my body would be in shock. Especially in the overload of information today. You can get on facebook and completely overload your systems with too much information. You can do that with your email too if you are like me and sign up for all the newsletters. My email inbox is always flooded with emails. Hundreds of emails. My husband on the other hand barely gets any. I actually have to send him an email every couple of months just to keep his account active. I have to choose now what I will read and what I will not. I have to set limits on the whole reading thing and only read the important stuff. I do get to decide what’s important though so that’s good. I use a standard with myself now. Does it weaken me? If it weakens me then I don’t read it anymore. If it takes away from my creativity then it is weakening me. Too much reading of the wrong information is weakening. Some reading is inspirational. Some is depressing. Some reading is information that is not needed at this time, clogging up the brain and causing concern. This stuff makes you worry and takes focus away from what is needed at this time. I’m just learning about this. I’m in the creating with words mode. I read all the stuff that inspires the creation of worlds through words. Other peoples creativity through words and pictures. That inspires me, instructs me, energizes me. I can’t imagine living without books. Without reading books. My husband is learning this about me and bookshelves are beginning to appear. I fill them as quickly as he builds them. I would love to have a home with every wall a bookshelf. My worth being measured in the number of awesome books I own. Someday my own books will be mingled together with the books on my shelves and perhaps grace a shelf in your home as well.

Elizabeth Williams writes 1,000 words a day.  This page is 1,110 words.