Once Upon A Book

One of my greatest passions in life, is reading. Many times, I have more than one book open at a time. I love to spend time around books such as, at the library, or any book store where I can immerse myself in the aisles of hundreds of books for hours, blocking out the world, and searching for the ones that call out to me. I relish in getting lost in each story, as it carries me off to a different place or time, taking me with it along the way. I like the smell of a good used book from the library, one that has been in the hands of many over the years; worn with age and pondered on by hundreds, just like myself. I am currently reading, The Journal Keeper- A Memoir by Phyllis Theroux. On one of the pages she says, “Books need no towels or linen, just an inch on a shelf. And they’ll talk to anybody who will listen.” I could have not said it any better myself.

I wish that I could say that I always had a passion for reading, but as a young child, I struggled with reading and spelling in school. I repeated the third grade due to the decision of my teacher and my parents. In my fourth grade year of school, I had a very strict and intimidating teacher named, Mrs. Pringle. She was a very serious woman, petite in stature with dark hair, whose mouth was always in a tight pinched straight line. She ran a very tight ship in her classroom and allowed no talking whatsoever. I detested school at the beginning of that year and was not happy about leaving my warm bed each morning knowing what I had to look forward to each day, as I walked to school with a pit in my stomach. Mrs. Pringle had a plan to help me improve my reading ability and it went like this…. she met with my mother and suggested that she take me to the library weekly and told her to enroll me in book clubs by mail. She also wanted me to read my books aloud to my mom. I remember in the beginning getting books in the mail… so many books. It felt overwhelming at first, to realize that I had to eventually read them all! Mrs. Pringle kept my mother and me accountable by giving me a reading log that I had to turn in to her every week. I knew that most of the other students did not have to do this and I felt like I was being picked on and singled out, which in turn, made me dislike Mrs. Pringle even more.

As the months went by, reading became easier for me. I was able to finish all of the books that entered my mailbox each month, and soon I could not wait to open the mailbox and greet each new book as it arrived. I enjoyed my visits now to the library with my mom and I no longer had to read to her. My reading had improved so much that I read each book to myself and became a very fast reader, and still am to this day. In school, my spelling and reading comprehension went from so-so to outstanding.

So, in the end, I give the credit to Mrs. Pringle for my love of reading because she chose to put extra time into me, not to discourage and upset me, but to show me what I could do. And even though she was hard on me, she tried to bring out the best in me, as a student (her student). I also credit my wonderful mother, who came along side my teacher and worked diligently to help her discouraged daughter develop a love for the written word. And as I would find out a few years later, a love and passion that she herself had.

I am currently reading these two great books.