The boys & I went to the Scholastic Warehouse Book Sale and returned with a fair sized box of books. The euphoria I felt when I walked out with our new chest full of treasures is comparable to that of waking up on Christmas morning as a child. It was such a strong feeling that it made me wonder if I have gone too far with my love for reading. In addition to my love of reading is the pride I feel when my boys are so absorbed in a book that they want to do nothing until they've read through to the end. As parents, one of our greatest concerns for our youngsters is that they will learn to read. From the beginning of their lives we are pointing out letters and teaching them to make sense of the strange symbols that form words. Kindergarten begins and we fret over their progress. By second grade we are either panicked about the "slow" readers or elated that our "genius" is reading Harry Potter. When the children are strong readers, we feel relieved and certain that by reading, anything can be conquered. Books and other media are the key to information and learning. They can teach us about the solar system or take us to a far away fantasy land. A good story can stimulate creativity and teach a lesson. What can be bad about reading?
I digress from reading for a moment to consider the saying that we should "live life to the fullest." Now, that can be defined in many ways according to our perspective. When pondering that thought, I have trouble articulating all the ways to live life to the fullest. Spending time with my family is a start. Next, imagining us on a family vacation hiking in the mountains makes me feel "full." On a spiritual level, it might be to praise and thank God for the blessings in life. Particularly when I find myself standing on the balcony of our vacation cabin looking out at the view of the Great Smokey Mountains as the sun is just peeking over the top. To others "living life to the fullest" may refer to those thrilling moments of flying an airplane (or jumping out of it), skiing in the Alps, running a marathon, scuba diving, rock climbing or motor-cross. To each of us the meaning will be unique.
Would anyone suggest that passively reading the adventures of a fictional character is living to the fullest? When hours are spent tuned into an unresponsive page, what is the gain? Certainly valuable information can be gathered through print, but what is the payoff for the investment of time spent pouring over the print to go on an adventure or learn new information? Do we feel "full" of life when we spend time with books? Does it rob of us of the time we might spend with real live people or going out in the world to see, hear and smell the living breathing natural world?
It seems obvious that there should be a balance between the time spent absorbed in books with that in the real world, but for some it's not that easy. A book is always on time. It will never harm you physically (unless an angry person hurls it at you). If a book is offensive it can be discarded. Books have impeccable manners. The story in a book can warm your heart. Information in a book can teach you which snakes are poisonous or not. The lessons are infinite. The book calls us to read and and hours pass by.
I have yet to come across a book suggests people should stop reading, but have discovered many whose lesson is to teach the reader to live life to the fullest. Where's the balance between reading and recognizing that which is most important in life, the living breathing world?
The next time I shop the Scholastic Warehouse sale and walk away with the chest full of treasure, I'll remind myself that it's a box of dead trees I'm holding.....then, I'll go home, spread a blanket on the grass in the shade of a tree and begin a new adventure after fishing an exciting title from the chest. Sorry, I'm hopelessly devoted to reading. Though, if ever I have to run from our burning home, it will be the family I grab before reaching for any books.
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