Diary of a Book Worm

 Hey look at me, I’m reading a book!  I know that sounds pretty funny but it's been some time since I've  read one. I have been enamoured with books since before I attended grade school. I credit my mom and my big brother Larry with getting me hooked on reading. I cut my teeth on the  ‘Golden Book’ series. Larry would read to me and I would memorize. Through this method  I  caught on to the reading thing and loved it. My primary teachers did not know what to do with me. By second grade a classmate (Glenn Tyson) and I were reading at the sixth grade level.

 When I was introduced to  the bookmobile I thought I had died and went to heaven. I found it hard to believe that a bus load of books came to my school and I could  pick out a stack and borrow them. Was this even legal? You could count on the fact that I would  always get the limit.  Each time I took back the books I had read I would get even thicker ones. It was nothing for me to read a huge book in a short time. I only wish I had kept a list. Books have always been a little sacred to me. I am careful to never bend a book in a compromising way and wouldn't even think of sitting a cup on one. I even love the smell of them; old and new. It only stands to reason that the written word would be precious to me also. 

 Throughout my life I have loved to write and fancied that one day I would be a writer. There were nights as a  youth that I would stay up passed bedtime to write. We were supposed to be sleeping so my little brother Ray had to hold a flashlight for me to see. Sometimes I would tell stories to entertain my little brothers, making them up as I went along. Later when our kids were growing up  I fabricated  stories for them too.

 One of my greatest joys in life is  that our kids picked up the love for books and writing also. I started reading to my kids even before their due date. Once they were born I continued to read to them every day. I had so much fun buying them books. As they got older I encouraged them in anyway I could think of to read and write. Since I had little time to keep it up myself  I was living vicariously through them. I did manage to find the time to take a few writing courses so that I could guide our children to write correctly.

 Then I started having serious eye issues and reading was something I thought I would never do again. I missed it so much. Now my eyes are  better but I just could not get back on that horse. Until this week. I found a book from a favorite author and am so happy to say that my first love is back to stay. As of this moment I can also report that I have picked up writing again. What a glorious day!