Follow your passion, and success will follow you. ~Terri Guillemets
I'm passionate about a lot of things. My husband, my family, my cats, my friends, chocolate, and that's just for starters. One passion my husband and I share is for books. Both reading and collecting them. I was one of those kids who'd rather stay home and read than go out and play.
One of my brothers said it best. "Elaine, if you were down to your last five dollars and had to choose between books and food, you'd choose books." My reply was "Of course, I have enough friends and family to feed my body. Books feed my soul.
The happiest day of my life was when I got my library card. A building full of books to read? Yea! Then when I could cross the main street in our neighborhood, I could go to the library myself. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
I learned about wars and peace, queens and kings, airplanes, farming, and was introduced to some of my heroes, Eleanor Roosevelt, Florence Nightingale among them. I learned about religions, and saints, the fact that yes there are bad people in the world. However I also learned the good people outweigh them.
When we were dating, my husband and I used to spend our weekends searching used book stores. Yes, I married into a family of book lovers as well. My husband and his mother were both librarians in a previous life. Is it any wonder both my husband and I are writers?
5 comments:
My love of books goes back to my early childhood. I don't know what my life would be like if I hadn't been surrounded by books - but more important, easily and effortlessly read them. Knowing people with dyslexia and watching the effort and energy it takes to read a book is awe-inspiring. And then there are others who struggle and reading is an exhausting challenge every time they pick up a book. I am grateful I have my books, my favorite authors, and writing in my life.
Thanks, Elaine for sharing your story and your passion.
Judith
I know just what you mean. My books got me through so much.
It's no wonder at all!!! LOL
I, too, was an avid reader from early childhood. By second grade, my goal was to be a writer, poet, and artist - although my total lack of eye-hand coordination scratched 'artist' off my list!
Books have always been my window to the world outside the little community where I grew up. I read books constantly, under the covers at night when I was supposed to be sleeping, when I vacuumed on Saturdays, and during lunch and recess at school. Sometimes even during a class that I had my work done already or didn't like. ;)
I think all writers are obsessed with books and good stories.
There is nothing like a good book to take me on an adventure and out of the realm of daily life.
Although, with e-books, I've found some self published books that I wished I hadn't downloaded and wasted my time on.
I guess I didn't waste too much time, because I just didn't finish them.
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