Just Another Good Read....

Books have always been a big part of my life....at least since I learned to read! I can remember turning the pages of a book from as far back as fourth grade.  It was probably Nancy Drew or Charlotte's Web or Stuart Little. As I got a bit older my taste in book changed but way back in the 50's and 60's when I was growing up it was still the memory of Robinson Crusoe or Huckleberry Finn that stick with me. I know my parents always got me a special book as a Christmas gift.  Freshman year of high school I remember waiting until my parent's car left the driveway before racing to the book shelf to grab Peyton Place and read (over and over) the "racy parts". One of the reasons I didn't mind "baby siting" my younger sister was that I could read this book! 

I've belonged to a book club wherever we've lived and I always enjoy the fact that these groups "forced" me to read book I otherwise would have left at the library. Book clubs broadened my horizons. 

I just finished another really good read that I found here at Eastcastle's library. Michelle Obama's second book, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, was just so well written. So many sentences and paragraphs made me stop and re-read them. The introduction on the front cover says "In an inspiring follow-up to her critically acclaimed, #1 bestselling memoir Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares a practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today's highly uncertain world."

Maybe it was the tone of this book and the down-to-earth comments and suggestions that I needed right now. This whole Country and world seem to be in a worrisome state of flux and the future so uncertain. Her concept of "despites" keeps ringing through my mind. (You'll have to read the book!)

In the chapter titled "My Kitchen Table" (you'll have to read the book!) there were memories of her childhood growing up on Chicago's South Side that echoed my privileged white childhood/neighborhood in the suburb of Park Ridge. "....Most folks of my generation grew up in communities that felt a little more like the Wild West, where children were left to find their own friends, forge their own alliances, settle their own conflicts, and earn their own victories. All this without clear rules. All this without adults overseeing and influencing their interactions, and without anybody handing you a trophy just for showing up. This environment can get messy sometimes, yes, but it's also where learning happens. The experiences aren't always comfortable or rewarding - not the way karate or piano lessons might be - but I think it's part of what we've forgotten: Discomfort is a teacher. Lack of reward is a teacher."

Just so much to think about....learning by doing....learning by losing....figuring it out with help when and if needed. Mine is the last generation to ever grow up/live without social media. Hmmmm.....maybe it was a bit like the Wild West, but it was good.