RE: Boyo's Whinging Corner - Comments Appreciated
Since reading has been a topic on everyone's mind lately, at least at my house, and it came up in a conversation with a partner recently I may as well give my thoughts on it.
I love books. Always did, always will. I am a semi-luddite in that I have no interest in a digital reader or e-books. I like paper in my hands, something solid. I grew up always with a little library of my own books, as I grew and my interests grew I expanded, but even by middle school I was a member of the Sci-Fi book club (I am older than most users here, let's just say it was the Carter Era). I had a big collection of books where my allowance went, and I read a lot of older and at the time 70's-80's scifi and fantasy, that was my thing. My current partners have expanded my interest in other writers and domains, and for that I owe them a big thank you.
In elementary school I used to ride my bike a mile or more through town to the library and pick up a book. Never really knew it but as a youth my Dad has continually told me that I was an early reader, and a voracious one. Know your library, not only does it provide us with the weekly family movie, but books that the kids can check out and enjoy. I always insist they take one, even if they only glance at it at home later.
In school I knew English. Passed all my tests wonderfully, did lengthy essays in all my subjects easily. Though if you asked me a particular point of grammar I couldn't tell you, still can't, but I know what sounds right. I can account all that to the books probably, with all the reading I did I knew how to communicate but couldn't put into words how to do it. I still write and document a lot at work, I am well known for writing up how we do things and I tend to get that task a lot, which is fine with me. Working in software development the documentation is poor most of the time anyway.
Getting back into writing now I still read a lot, my current job allows me to commute by train so I spend a lot of time in my local library, in the past year I have gone through about a book every week or two. I read to my kids constantly, though less than I should, I don't remember my Dad reading to me, my parents did when we were younger but I did all my own after I was old enough. We have books in the house, even comics, since anything with the printed word is gold to me. My older son being dyslexic, which makes it hard to sound out words, and his concentration problems means reading is harder for him - so we look at alternatives, audio books that highlight the text do well for him. We continue to find other ways to engage, reading should never be a barrier is my opinion, and I doubt my passion for books will be taken up exactly but if they get a little bit, I am happy.
Reading should be fun, I love being able to immerse myself in a world others have made. I can do the same for my own writing and characters. Reading is fundamental and much as I love my own library of books, having a town that can maintain one, and allowing me to requests books from the inter-loan system so I can get anything in catalog is priceless to me. I could go on, but that's enough pontificating for now, I have rp's to answer.
Remember, as we used to say - Reading is Fundamental.
Your support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)
