"A house without books is like a house without windows." ~ Horace Mann
You may have guessed from today's title, the topic is about books. Why books? Because I adore books. I can't get enough of them. Frankly, I'm addicted to them!
My love for books began as soon as I learned to read. Being the oldest child with a baby sister too young to understand playing pretend, I had a lot of free time to develop my imagination.
I remember as a very young child I'd imagine daring adventures and lengthy dialog with invisible friends (which worried my mother). I drew pictures of the imaginary places I visited, sharing with my mom all the details of everything that "happened" there.
I'd even tried to tell my stories to my baby sister, but she would just stare at me, babbling and drooling away, eventually managing to crumble one of my drawings and place it in her mouth.
That didn't discourage me at all. I'd just start another adventure with more wild tales and drawings of magical places. It was fun to play pretend. I remember those days fondly, when it was OK to daydream.
I learned soon enough that daydreaming attracted unwanted attention from my teachers. I managed to make good grades, which satisfied my parents, but focusing on what was going on in the classroom was sometimes a struggle... except for storytime! That was the only time during my school day I was allowed to daydream with impunity.
Then one fateful day my first grade class took a field trip to the local library. Walking through those doors was like being translated into a magical land and every book it's own adventure. I may have been the only students that year that consistently turned in extra credit book reports. The library had become like my second home.
Throughout my middle and high school years I could be found at the local library at least two or three times a week. I decided to work one summer at the main library just so I could be near books. I became a veracious reader, my favorites being the classics and history. I spent most my adolescence years with my nose buried in a book.
It may seem boring to some, but I had a great childhood thanks to books. I credit them for my good grades because I could find a book on any subject I needed. Not only were they useful academically, they sparked my creative interest in music and art, which made life interesting and learning about something new fun.
Books have molded me into a life-long learner. As a mom that homeschools four kids, I'm still learning from books. My passion for learning is why I homeschool. I desire to pass my love of learning on to my kids.
Books are not only for education. They provide great entertainment when I need to unwind. After a busy day of homeschooling, errands, phone calls etc., reading a book instantly relaxes me. The words on the page make me forget, as long as I'm reading, about everything that went on before.
That's why I buy several books a month, to my husbands chagrin. My husband enjoys books too, but he's not as obsessed as I am. Between his and my books, we could fill a whole room... and one of these days we will. A room just for books!
Until then, the books that don't fit on the bookshelves are piled up by my bedside, stacked in our closets, shoved in and under our desks... any place where there's room.
Should we get rid of some books to make more room? Never! They are like my babies, I couldn't give them up! All you bibliophiles out there understand me.
Uh...wait a minute.... I think I hear the mailman. Could he be delivering the book I ordered online? No, not this time. That's OK. I'll just trot on over to my local Barnes & Noble. Maybe we'll bump into each other there...
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