A Truth

August 30th, 2004 · No Comments
by Booksquare

To see the truth of a nation divided, you need look no further than our family. On one side, we have the mother, the youngest sister, and us. We are The Readers. On the other side is another sister and two brothers. They Don’t Read. Well, the sister sort of reads, but not so you’d be able to pin her down on the issue.

The mother, being a librarian and natural reader, did everything right. Read to us from Day One. Read to us during meals (are fond memories of mealtimes are more the result of King Arthur than the food). Purchased us gifts that involved binding and printed paper. Yet, somehow, the reading gene remained dormant. We remain divided — how can you trust someone so far removed from what you believe in your soul? And we believe in reading.

So it is true. There are some who Don’t Read. All we can do is give them the basic skills and hope they suffer the type of traumatic injury that results in a life-changing experience requiring devouring books. It’s been known to happen, though we don’t have the scientific proof readily available. For the rest of the lost souls out there, we remain hopeful. And convinced that less testing and more discussion about stories is the key to bringing us all back together.

File Under: Square Pegs