What I Learned From … Mashing It Up

May 18, 2008 by Lillie 

Robert Hruzek has given us a challenge in this month’s What I Learned From … group writing project. Instead of giving us one subject, he’s given us enough topics to cover a year and a half. So I’m mashing it up with 18 topics in this post.

I fell in love with both reading and writing when I was in high school. The teacher read my humorous story to the students and got real laughs from the children (okay, they were really teenagers, but they weren’t adults … so that should count as children). While other kids were watching television or going to the movies, my recreation was reading. The characters in books became my friends and my heroes. I didn’t need to travel in automobiles, trains, or planes. I could travel anywhere - to the beach, to the mountains, to the city or the country - even to outer space - just by opening a book. I could learn about technology, discover exotic food, and experience amazing adventures. When I was engrossed in a story, I lost track of time and ignored relatives and pets. The story became my world.

I learned that I loved the written word. I learned that words can entertain, inspire, and educate. I learned that I wanted my words to become a reader’s world.

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49 Comments »

Comment by Robert Hruzek
2008-05-18 18:56:26

Howdy, Lillie! Thanks for jumping in with an entry this month. Good job; it’s fun to think about the paths that led us to be where we are today, isn’t it?

Robert Hruzeks last blog post..Overcoming Barriers, Part 1

 
Comment by UK Graphic Design
2008-05-19 05:13:24

Beautiful. My own childhood seems to have echoed yours, and that’s the reason I still write today. The written word is one of the most powerful tools in the universe.

 
Comment by ronny
2008-05-19 09:31:19

i echo that sentiment. I also became very interested in writing when I was in high school.

 
Comment by Joanna Young
2008-05-19 10:09:58

Oh Lillie, your words transported me back to my own childhood, lost in one book or another, exploring the wonders of other worlds! Hard to imagine life without reading isn’t it? Thanks for this mashed up reminder

Joanna

Joanna Youngs last blog post..12 Simple Ways to Narrow Your Focus and Expand Your Sense of Purpose

 
Comment by Jackie Cameron
2008-05-19 11:54:48

Loved it Lillie !
Sadly we only discovered that my son has dyslexia when he was 16. He had managed to do well in school to that point without consciously reading anything ( he must be a great absorber)and it drove us to distraction. Now he is a keen reader of design magazines which is wonderful.
I can’t imagine what it would be like not to be able to read - words are all around us!

Jackie Camerons last blog post..Getting to grips with wikis…etc

 
2008-05-19 16:41:10

Great mash up of words! :)

 
Comment by Renae
2008-05-20 08:26:53

Another great post, Lillie. My daughter is already following in my footsteps (and those who have come before me!) She is forever curled up with one great book or another, and that makes my heart soar!

When I was in third grade, I missed almost an entire spelling test because I was so absorbed in a book! When my teacher realized I was reading instead of taking the test, she didn’t penalize me. She simply let me go back and finish the test later.

Praise God for great teachers!

Renaes last blog post..Benediction

 
Comment by sally
2008-05-20 11:47:38

I raised my daughter as a reader. We started out before school with words like “at” then adding a letter in front of it to make rhythming words such as “cat, sat, mat, hat etc.” She has been hooked ever since. Now is grade 10 academic English with an average of 95%. My point is you can never instill the love of language too early.

 
Comment by Ernesto
2008-05-20 14:23:51

I am thankful to my aunt who taught me to love reading books. She was my godmother too, and every Christmas she would send me hardbound detective books as gifts. Initially, I somewhat loathed the gifts, until I eventually began developing the habit of reading. Since then, I looked forward to her book presents to me with so much delight and excitement.

Ernestos last blog post..Are Blogs Sure Means to Help You Make Money Online?

 
Comment by Mother Earth
2008-05-21 01:38:25

I admire your short post, crisp yet such a lovely reference to all that reading was, is and can be - nicely done

Mother Earths last blog post..Menopause and Calcium

 
Comment by John Jefferson
2008-05-21 10:43:08

I read a lot. I get into the story and can picture what is happening in my mind. I think kids today are too busy with video games that they don’t enjoy books anymore. I tell my neighbors kids when they say i have nothing to do, I say read a book . They look at me like I am nuts. I just feel sorry for what they are missing out on.

John Jeffersons last blog post..Grilled New Orleans-Style Shrimp

 
Comment by Yvonne Russell
2008-05-21 11:44:18

Hi Lillie
What fun! Books and words can take us anywhere and everywhere. Looks like you enjoyed wriggling all the words into the one post. :)
Yvonne Russells last blog post..Imagine Your Blog Eight Years On From Your First Post & Celebrate With Someone Who’s There Already

 
Comment by Thomma Lyn
2008-05-21 20:08:03

Great job getting all those words into one post! :D And yes, as a child, one of my favorite activities was reading — still is, as a grown-up!

Thomma Lyns last blog post..Random Bits in the Life of TL

 
Comment by Dean
2008-05-22 18:06:17

I love the written word also, I believe we each have great life stories just waiting for us to share.

 
Comment by versicherungen
2008-05-23 03:36:05

I like your this play of word.You might not have developed the love of reading without being exposed to those books you initially didn’t want.

versicherungens last blog post..Gesetzliche Rentenversicherung - für Selbständige, bald Pflicht ?

 
Comment by Fringe TV Show
2008-05-23 16:54:55

When I was little, my favorite activity (apart from playing soccer :) ) was reading .Now , unfortunately ,I don’t have enough time to read as much as I want .

 
2008-05-29 02:51:34

Thanks for sharing this story..Actually i m looking to write a story about myself and i will start soon…

application developments last blog post..Web designing india

 
Comment by PC Sport Live
2008-06-01 19:55:50

I used to write quite regularly during school, whether it was for a project or not. I used to write alot of fanfiction but eventually mvoed on to creating my own characetrs aswell. I find it increasingly difficult to find time to write nowadays though.

 
Comment by Jackie Cameron
2008-06-02 04:01:25

Oh Lillie - I love that saying….thanks for sharing it. It has really set the tone for my week!

Jackie Camerons last blog post..Remember this when you are thinking about business travel being glamorous!

 
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
2008-06-05 22:38:51

Lillie,

Love the concise way you’ve managed to include all 18 of Robert’s topics into this post!

Wonderful job!
Jeanne

 
2008-07-12 22:18:02

Reading creates imagination that so many people lack nowadays. I’ve been reading since my childhood.

 
Comment by frika
2008-07-20 04:54:23

The statistics on how many people never read another book after they get out of school appall me too. I read every month 3 books.

 
Comment by error fixer
2008-08-05 23:40:39

You have learned so many thing.But I don’t think there are a lot of thing to learn from here.

 

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