Five Reasons to LOVE Reading

I remember when my mom brought out small, reading primers in the 1980's for me to learn to read. I was not impressed. I had no desire to read about Jane, Dick, or any other dubious characters. Why did I need to see them run? Why did I need to them have fun? Yeah, those reading primers were still hanging around from the 60s and 70s. That all changed when my grandma who was a custodian at an elementary school, brought books and books from the library. They were getting rid of their old books and bringing in the new.

I was rather excited to see Pippi in the South Seas. Could this be the same Pippi of the movies I would wait impatiently for to see on tv every year? You could not get any cooler than Pippi Longstocking. She had a horse and a monkey and she lived by herself and and and. Needless to say that motivated me to want to find out what was in that book. There was also The Borrowers Afield...how interesting...little people living where...Yes, interest piqued, my mom had an easier time of teaching me to read.

Once I started reading, I never stopped. Mysteries, poetry, biographies, fiction, non-fiction, romances, adventure, scientific...I'll read just about anything I am truly interested in or if I want to learn about a subject.

I appreciate all my teachers who encouraged reading. I still have childhood favorites that are still a favorite today. Miss Rumphius, Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain, and more come to mind.

These days, I have a bag my oldest sister gave to me, filled with books and magazines...some marked with bookmarks, earmarked pages, or some other way of finding where I left off. I am currently leisurely, working my way through the The Travels of Marco Polo.

So on reflection, there are five reasons I LOVE to read. The reasons might seem cliche, but they are real and true. Here they are:

1. I love being able to put myself in someone else's shoes. Feeling what they feel will make you more compassionate and understanding.

2. It is quite nice to use your imagination. This is quite lacking today.

3. Reading helps me to understand and know I am not alone. There is someone out there thinking just like you.

4. Expressing oneself is important. Once can explore new lines of reasoning and thought processes.

5. I find new words as I read. Expand your vocabulary.

Soooo...go to the library...renew or get yourself a library card or take a trip to your local bookstore. Grab a book. Grab a magazine. Get cozy and settle in for a nice, interesting read.