“Through a Writer’s eyes”
By
Gerry Niskern
I watched a good documentary recently titled “Let’s Pretend it’s a City”. The story featured the author Fran Lebowitz as she walked about New York and narrated her unique style of social commentary. I was interested in the city and the history of her life there, but the thing I found most interesting was her words of wisdom on reading. I absolutely loved one statement of Fran’s. “When you learn to read, you are rich!” she declared.
I couldn’t agree more. I remember when I was a little kid and we would drive by a certain building while in town. Someone would always say, “There’s the library.” I was fascinated with the idea that there were “books” in that place. Then when we moved to Phoenix when I was ten and I learned that I could walk to the Phoenix Carnegie Public library alone and check out as many books as I could carry home. I was in heaven.
The majority of kids are in a TV bubble now days. They learn to read in kindergarten because its required, but so many don’t fall in love with reading books. They don’t realize that reading all types of books helps them understand the world we live in. Books helps them communicate, stimulates their imagination. As a reader they are not bound by what the film maker show them a character to be, they can imagine whatever they want them to look like.
It is tough to think about, but in our country in the l800’s states were still passing laws forbidding anyone to teach free African Americans to read or write. And actually as recently as the early l900’s the public libraries only allowed men to use and borrow books. Usually a room was set aside for the ladies to read, not borrow, some magazines.
The love of books runs deep in our family. One of my greatest joys has always been sharing books with the toddlers, and then continuing to share volumes with book worms in the family. I’ve used the library but loved the idea of owning my own. My book case never gets to overflowing because I always seem to be giving them away too!
The libraries were closed during the first months of the pandemic, and now it’s only drive -up, but friends of shared a lot. The love of reading has gotten many through the long months of Covid 19
And yes, we were indeed rich!.
I’ve been wanting to watch that documentary so I’ll check it out very soon. I feel very rich being able to read for the pure enjoyment of it .
Tlhanks Christina from a fellow Book Worm
Reading is wonderful. I really need to remind myself of that more often and do it. Great read!
Well, at least we don’t have to read about Trump anymore!
I love to read and so do most of my children. I rode my bike to that library. Then when I had kids we would go to the old library in Scottsdale and load up on books and come home and read.
good to hear from you Bobby and to know you are still reading my blog. You always remember exactly what i am talking about!