http://reflectionsfromthebellcurve.blogspot.com/2011/12/gift-of-music.html
Although my December 8 post (above) got just one online comment, as has been the case many times, the offline comments & conversations have been rich. Recently a good friend dug so deep for answers to the questions I asked in that particular post that I began reflecting on other important gifts I've received.
I can't imagine my life without books. If you've read even a few of my posts since last March you know that. Who was the first person in your life whose love of books was a gift to you? Unquestionably for me it was my older sister. I clearly recall how she would devour book after book when we were young. I didn't get the bug as early as she did; music got me first. But when I started college, I remembered her example and wasn't at all surprised when my freshman English professor (Mr. Larsen, Kean College, 1967) described his rapture when he was in a library touching the books. Some of my fellow students probably thought he was deranged; I was inspired - I had my sister in my head. Gift giver #2: Thanks, Mr. Larsen.
Who else gave you this gift? I'll never forget the first apartment I walked into (I'm now a young adult) where several full bookshelves were about the only furniture. As I browsed, many author names were unfamiliar to me. I asked my friend (happened to be the other guitar player in my band at the time) how many he'd read. When he said "...almost all of them...", I was intimidated a little but energized more. I asked him for a list of titles and authors he'd recommend. I remember many I subsequently finished including Peter Matthiessen's "At Play In The Fields of the Lord" which remains a favorite almost 40 years later. Thanks, Kenny.
I've got others who have since given me this gift but I want to hear your stories. Online, offline, e-mail, snail mail, phone calls, smoke signals, Pony Express, doesn't matter. Can you imagine your life without books?
About Me
- Pat Barton
- My most recent single release - "My True North" - is now available on Bandcamp. Open my profile and click on "audio clip".
Thank you for this acknowledgement . I always loved to share my love of reading and books with people I love. Gina is sitting next to me right now reading and without knowing I was reading your blog or what it was about she said "thanks for making me love books." I learned a lot from you so I am pleased to hear you learned something from me. Love ya
ReplyDeleteFor me books are as important as the air I breathe. And text is absolutely my favorite form of communication. I'd pick deafness over blindness any day. I start each day with a book and end each night with a book. Books serve many needs for me. Advice Inspiration Reassurance Comfort Peace Introspection Humanity Mental Stimulation Philosophical Understanding. The list is very long. If there was no such thing as a book I would have to invent the book.
ReplyDeleteLanguage=Books + Language=Civilization. Humans can speak about unspeakable things through the written word and do. Writing is more intimate and revealing than spoken words.
Sue; Good to see you back "reflecting". Interesting you'd "pick" deafness; I think I'd opt for blindness b/c I could always get books on tape. But a world w/o music? No thanks. Hope neither of us ever has to face either scenario.
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