Reading
is an infinite activity. Our government, through its agent, The Library
of Congress, insures this. In the Library of Congress, books are
everywhere and new ones are coming in all the time. The shelves are
sagging with books of all sorts - from He Doesn't Know I Care to
A Modest History of the Universe. Comic books to encyclopedias.
books written by dedicated men and women of literature, compulsive egoists,
celebrity Bar-B-Que masters, and people who didn't even realize they were
writing a book.
Imagine how large this library must be. Curiosity trembles at the thought of this much information. Eyelids grow heavy and breathing slows. The mind can not encompass the existence of this many books. This is why we must read them one at a time.
Reading is an activity that can help put our feet on the ground, while at the same time, it is taking us to places faraway. It expands our vision. If you live in Minnesota, reading can give you a sense of Texas or Tasmania. And, if you live in Texas or Tasmania, you can learn the difference between Minneapolis and Saint Paul and other fascinating things, which you had no idea could make a difference. Outer Space is just pages away and you can come back any time you want. The past exists in the present and you can be a part of it. The opportunities are limitless.
Reading calms us down. Although it can be done, reading while walking or driving is not recommended. It is a reflective act. And reflecting at stoplights or on sharp curves can be dangerous. When we read, we are (most of us) sitting down. This, in itself, is beneficial. It keeps us from constantly doing errands. We leave behind the world as we know it and travel instantly to places we have never been and to places that may never have existed. This saves not only time, but also airfare. If you get lost, you can just go back a few pages and orient yourself. Unlike Television, which is anything but reflective, we can travel at our own pace and to wherever we want. On the way, we need not worry about hamburgers or our cars or whether we're on the correct long-distance plan.
Reading is a cooperative act. As a reader, you and the author together, design new buildings, create hairdos, and resolve conflict. You can toy with affections, fly an airplane, and outwit the enemy. You can help bake a cake, bait a hook, or beat the system. It's endless. Just when things seem to be falling into that ditch called Routine, you can revive yourself with a new adventure, a new skill, a new direction.
One of the few things from school that made a lasting impression on me was summer vacation. And when summer vacation was approaching, we would be presented with a reading list that contained suggestions of books of all sorts. This was the kind of homework assignment I could understand. No pressure - just suggestions. No tests. No reports. Just the pursuit of knowledge and happiness.
Teachers,
freed from the daily restraints of the school system and the need for discipline,
seemed to finally relax. They included books that they liked.
Old favorites. Books that were important to them as people, not just
as teachers. Reading the list excited me. All those possibilities.
Any list
of books can only be a partial list. the ones that come to mind at
the moment. The ones that have made themselves known. The ones
that have jumped off the shelf this afternoon. The lists on the other
page may be of interest to you.
Remember - No pressure,
no tests, and no reports.