What I do helps me to be who I am

"The man who does not read good
books has no advantage over the
man who cannot read them."
- Mark Twain
Click Here For Success Tip # 049 (Follow this link to a very interesting article on feed back)

Several years ago KavinCoach asked me to write an essay about who I am. The first essay was all about what rolls I have in life, wife, mother, sister, daughter, tech....So I tried again and again. I defined myself but what I do.  I am not what I do but what I do is controlled by who I am.  I read....a lot...but this wasn't always easy for me.  In third grade, I had a teacher that couldn't handle the very difficult class that I was in.  The results is she quit half way through the year.  The next teacher tried to catch us up but the damage was done.  I dropped way back in reading.  Then I dropped further behind.  My mother helped me with reading but needless to say it was not a good combination.  I did have a wonderful librarian that introduced me to Mrs. Pigglewiggle and the Wonderful flight to the mushroom planet.  But I only read when I was assigned.  Then in junior high (6th-8th grade) my friend persuaded me to read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings.  I also read the New testament.  Those were the only books I read with out it being an assignment...accept "Yours Til Niagara Falls"  and other very short cartoon or comic books.  High school required more reading but I still considered myself a poor reader.  My senior year in high school I took a free reading class.  Unfortunately, I first read a book recommended by my mother, Men to Match my Mountains.  Awesome book if you are a history buff, I'm not.  The teacher encouraged me to choose another type of book.  This was when I read I Never Promised you a Rose Garden, The Little Prince, Bellevue a State of Mind.  Some how this teacher helped me to connect with stories and ideas that I couldn't stop turning the pages.  I attribute him to igniting a life long passion for books.  I have more book cases than most people have book shelves and I still have books in boxes.  I try to give some of them away but I feel like I am turning out an old friend.  After I was married, I was unable to go to college due to finances and transportation problems.  I decided to tackle book reading like I would classes.  I choose a topic, went to the library then checked out several books on the subject.  I spent hours reading about hundreds of subjects everything from sewing to ERA (equal rights amendment) to Secret life of plants and parenting...lots of parenting books.  I used books to find out information, shape my opinion and try new things.  In counseling, many of my assignments were books to read.  I also spent quite a few years addicted to romance novels.  I finally decided that they didn't get me where I wanted to be. So I stopped reading them.  I enjoyed the Harry Potter series.  I actually went to the first movie with a bunch of ladies from work.  We went to get pizza and then the movie.  I heard about the fantastic animation used and wanted to see it as research for work.  (I took care of the animation labs at the university.)  I was so enthralled by the story that I didn't pay attention too much to the animation.  I ended up watching that one several more times in the theater.  I own it now and still enjoy watching it.  Back to books.  Books are my conversation with minds from all walks of life though out time.  Adventures, stories, encouragement....I often feel like Johny V, the robot that comes to life, he sees the library and is thrilled with the input available.  Reading is not who I am, however it has shaped my thinking until it is difficult to separate me from my books.