I’m learning the value of this more and more as I mature.
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Honest to god- I read telephone books. I’d put together all of the prefix numbers according to location like 831, 833, 835, 854 = bethel park, 341, 343, 344, = Castle Shannon/Mt Lebanon for the whole greater Pittsburgh area. And we had a set of encyclopedias that I would read.
That was it until I started into Poe, Lovecraft, and others at around 11. The librarian gave me a couple of good kid books mentioned earlier.
. I was a goofy kid.
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I did that too. And all the time life books. And this whole set which in no way infulenced my life and I didn’t spend too much money buying them for nostalgic reasons.
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You certainly were.
I couldn’t even begin to list the more important books or characters, there were so many. The ones listed above remain objects of my love and attention because they’re still on the shelves at Barnes and Noble - deservedly. I don’t remember who said it, but “some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered.”
My family was comprised of people who didn’t want to be there. My father palpably and somewhat violently resented my brother, who took this out on me. My mother worked as much as she could while we were home (nurse 3-11 shifts) until she finally left altogether. Books were my drug of choice and they offered blueprints of the people and lives I could be/have. Again, it comes back to agency, and probably also faith. If Harry could make it out of the understairs closet, maybe I can, too.
Lastly, let me dork out completely. This was under the plexiglass at a burger shack I frequented in Richmond, VA, as a teen/early 20’s (Small Fry). I loved it so much then, and I love it now.
Two Lives Are Yours by Richard Armour
Books I think
Are extra nice.
Through books you live
Not once but twice.You are yourself
And you are the things
With fur or fins
Or shells or wings.As big as giants
Small as gnats
As far as stars
As close as cats.You live today
And long ago
The future, too
Is yours to know.You’re multiplied
expanded, freed.
You’re you and also
What you read.
The last verse - I believe that this is absolutely true.
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Oh, encyclopedias - me too. I particularly liked the World Book, which had classic fairy tales interspersed throughout. So I know THE TRUTH of the little mermaid, etc.
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!!!
Mine too! Not the same shift, but same result. I was 6 when she left, and have very little memory of her other than a few incidents.
By all means, dork away! That is a nice poem.
We had the whole set of Britannica’s. I think I was just fascinated by things that were organized and made sense. There was absolutely none of that in the house.
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Haha, for reasons unclear to me, but possibly my idea originally, we’ve occasionally done talent shows here at the house when we’re all together, and my “talent” is consistently to recite (with reciting posture and hand position) that poem. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten the “big as giants” verse. But eh, it works just fine without it.
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I’m seeing an interesting theme.
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Yes! If you drop a box of them on an enemy, it will knock them into the next area code, which is Wheeling: (304)-XXX-XXXX.
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Cockroaches… it’s in the name
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Both of you guys are going to like this.
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A professor of mine has mentioned several times that someone did some research and found that when we read books and really get into them, our brains are convinced we have lived the same experiences as the book characters and build the subsequent neuron pathways that they would if we really did have those experiences.
Something like that. I’m not a neuroscientist!
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I’ve always used “we” when talking about something about to happen (i.e. why I can’t put the book down right now). “I can’t stop - we’re about to find out who our father is!”
I actually do it with TV/movies a bit, too. “We need to off her now, before it’s too late. No way she’s going to hold up to interrogation.”
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I think remodelling neural pathways applies to circuits in the brain that support empathy. But I think it’s more like when your friend tells you a story. You can differentiate between personal memories and movies you saw or books you read.
“My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon…luge lessons. In the spring, we’d make meat helmets. When I was insolent, I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds. Pretty standard, really." (Dr. Evil)
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Life Tip: Double check the package before having a snack.
For the record, I didn’t eat the dog treats, but it was close. Oh, and my dog is convinced I’m eating his treats. Gives me a really hurtful look.
(Duke’s products are super tasty, BTW.)
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Well now we know what castoli1971 has been up to.
I’m glad they put a picture of the intended consumer on the top & center, or I’d probably confuse them.
Admission: I’ve eaten my neighbors fresh baked pumpkin blueberry dog treats. They were pretty good. Would have been better with milk.
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Dude likely has a dead human collection
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I have a vague memory of my mom buying these and explaining that it wasn’t candy.