BOOK NERDS UNITE
AFTER THIS CHAPTER!
Like many readers, I began reading as a child. I was an only child so lack of books was never a problem. My mother was always willing to take me to the bookstore and let me buy a stack of my own books. To be sure, her stack was just as tall! In addition, I was a frequent visitor to the library and thought nothing of bringing a stack of books home from there as well. I ate books for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack, when I wasn’t watching TV, or going to marching band practice, or doing lots of homework.
When I ran out of my own books I started reading my mothers. Her books weren’t as interesting to me, but I managed to find a few (I don’t remember the titles). The fact is I enjoyed coming of age stories and fantasy and her books didn’t contain any dragons! Can you believe it? Ick. I even remember reading the dictionary AND the phone book. I’m pretty sure that reading the dictionary and thesauri helped me become the linguist I consider myself today.
Given my love for learning, it is no surprise that I’ve always wanted to get advanced degrees. I went to college right out of high school but the advanced degrees took time. I was always going to school, taking night classes everywhere I lived. I was once in an English lit class with a famous astronaut, but I thought he was a blowhard and there is only room for one blowhard in my life. ME.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve been able to put my ego in check and am not the blowhard know it all I used to be (but don’t ask my kids, they’ll say differently). I’ve been successful in furthering my education and one day hope to be able to pursue my PhD (E.D, prolly) so I can introduce myself as Dr. Pam (which I frequently do anyway). The best aspect of furthering your education? Reading. To be sure, there is A LOT of reading. Boy howdy is there a lot. But it’s so worth it.
If it weren’t for reading, I don’t know what my life would be like, but I take great pride in my love of books and if you have ever run into me, I will probably offer to give you a book. That’s what I like to do: share books. It’s like sharing love.
That’s what reading is to me: love.
And cake. Cake is love. That’s why I host the literary tea parties that I do. What better way to show you care than a party full of tea, cake, and books?
Please tell me I’m not the only person who read the phone book and the dictionary.
And maybe the legal dictionary.