Book Worm
She had to confess: she had always been a book worm. But in her formidable years this term was very confusing to her small mind. Weren’t worms used to go fishing with grandpa? Why are worms all over the street after a long rain? Although this all puzzled her, she did not let it stand in her way of being captured by a good book.
As far as she could remember, Curious George was her favorite character. It was not uncommon to see her perched high above the house in a tree with the latest Curious George story. She even had a monkey puppet that she named George (of course).
Sitting high in the oak tree, she often wished to be a monkey, regardless of how many times mother raised her voice shouting, “Stop that monkey business!” Up in the great oak she had many conversations with Curious George as she looked over the neighborhood. Somehow up there with her book, she felt safe.
Eventually she grew out of her Curious George books and turned to reading biographies and the World Book Encyclopedia. Her family had a subscription to the World Book, and each month she waited by the mail box for it to be delivered.
As she read numerous biographies, she entered a sacred world so different than her own. Her favorite one was Abraham Lincoln. She was amazed at what he stood for, and how he didn’t back down, even when threatened. As she read she imagined a world where people got along despite their differences. Grandpa and Grandma didn’t have much good to say about Blacks, Hispanics, and other “foreigners”. Yet she longed to fill her mind with ideas on how to all get along without prejudice. She hoped that as she felt free up in her oak tree, others could also experience this.
Then, when she read her World Book Encyclopedia, she was privy to a whole other world. Her favorites were the topics about animals. As with Curious George, she filled her young mind with dreams and ambitions. Perhaps, someday she would be a doctor or travel the world as a missionary. She waited in eager bliss each time a new letter for the World Book arrived, imagining what new ideas she would uncover.
To this very day, although much older, she still loves to read. In fact, her favorite place to visit is not mountains or waterfalls, but the library. Reading has helped her escape many trials in her life. It brings comfort and peace in a busy and stressful world. Today, if you asked her how to overcome obstacles, she would simply say, “Read a book.”