Saturday, August 2, 2008

A Second Home

Everyone has a place that they tend to frequent where the other inhabitants know you by name and you feel welcomed. It may be a friend's house, a local hang-out, a church group, or even school. Mine is the local library-- my second home. I have found pictures of me (a few among the many thousands) of me wearing a pink coiled bracelet that had my key-chain sized library card attached to it... I was five. Each librarian knows me by name, as I am in there at least once a week-- often more than that.
A year or so ago, Mom acquired a mega-sized bag that says Boston Public Library on it and it has become my bag that I tote around when I make my trek to the library. I frequently check out 6-10 books, so this bag is ideal rather than the small, plastic, grocery bags they offer. Yesterday, I dragged Corey with me to the library; to keep him occupied I showed him the music books in the non-fiction half of the library. I naturally ventured off into the Fiction section. After about thirty minutes I developed a stack of six books and headed for the check-out (Corey was relieved).
Today, when I sat down to engross myself in the world of books, I opened a book and a small piece of paper slithered its way out onto my lap. It was a cut-away piece of notebook paper with perfectly cut edges. A smile crept over my face. It was my bookmark from the last time I had checked out this book; I had failed to find the time to read it all.
But, this incident raises the question: How many students actually read? For a bookmark to be left in a book for TWO years provides a slightly dismal testimony to the fact that most people of my generation are too attached to their video games, the internet, and their cell phones to take the time to expand their minds with one of the earliest forms of entertainment.

4 comments:

Sherry said...

One of the greatest gifts your mother ever gave to you was your love of reading. She read to you when you could only eat, sleep and poop. Wandering off into another world or someone else's world is a magical place and I'm so glad you appreciate it.

Anonymous said...

reading is a good thing
more kids (especially high school students!) should read so they become more educated and can do something with their lives. if more teens read they could go to say a foreign country (which few do)instead of juvie like some did in a language arts class i had to be in (i practically read one whole book to the class because they would not read out loud!)...ok sorry i will stop ranting this is your blog beth not mine! so any way back to the point read is a good thing!

Anonymous said...

i used to read a lot until i discovered this thing called Color Guard. now....not so much, but i'm trying to break that and get back into my old habit of reading more. it's also hard w/ all the high school assaingments i had to do, but i'm such a procrastinator i didn't even read a single fiction book this summer. not one. i read like 3 non-fiction, but they take FOREVER for me to complete! so i'm going to start reading more, i know it really does help in achedimics. ok, that's all for now. lol just another of my fabulous novels for u to enjoy!

-Michelle

DiAnne said...

I think the worst part about you being in Honors and Advanced Placement classes this past year was the fact that you barely had time to breathe...let alone read. My heart ached for you.

This year will be worse. At least you have audio books for the drive to the Kent State campus, right?