And this is precisely why I belong to the Wordsmith group, here-to share, and to take in: our human experiences in all their complex glory, to benefit from the wisdom of others, and the chance to try on another human being's existence for fit.
As a white, extra-privileged male, I feel a moral obligation to understand the trials I have never gone through, to try to feel the consequences of the harsh truths I need not face. Our shared humanity is not some trifle to be easily dismissed.
"any mans death diminishes me,
because I am involved in Mankinde" -John Donne
True words. Thanks for commenting.
Adrienne Rich is always a good choice. ?
Yep.
This reminds me of the mention I saw made some short time ago that reading fiction develops empathy.
Yep. I posted something about that a while back as well.
Great article here. Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome.
I just finished a big book, but I got a cramp in my hand from all the crayon coloring.
Once I discovered that many writers are idiots, I became a lot more selective about what I read. Like food, information should be screened for quality before you put it into your system.
True. But the more you read, the more discerning you get. Hopefully.
Reading is so important. I read books everyday, & usually have 3 or 4 on the go at the same time.
Yep. I've been a heavy reader for most of my life. Both my parents and my sister were as well.
@tnorman1236 The minute I learned to read in primary school, I've been glommed onto everything I could get my hands on.
@Lilac-Jade When my daughter was small, she'd hand me books to read to her for as long as I could stand it. Which was usually several hours. She devoured books.
@tnorman1236
That's great!
My sons read, but my daughter hates reading anything....ever! And she's the one who got brainwashed into religion when she met her future husband. Young, impressionable, & in love, so she has swallowed it all.
@Lilac-Jade That's too bad. My sons read some, but not like the rest of us.Though nobody in the family has gotten caught up in religion.
@tnorman1236
She is saturated in it & so are the grandkids. My eldest granddaughter is married to a new pastor!
I get sort of frantic when I finish a book and don't have another one ready to start.
@pashaonenine Plenty online to download for free.
@Lilac-Jade You bring up an interesting subject: E-readers like Kindle, or audiobooks, or paper books? I like all three but have a pretty strong preference for old-school paper.
@pashaonenine I do too, but I like to adjust the print size for my eyesight. & I sit here & read on my laptop. The e-reader is for travel or in bed. I don't like the audio books.
@tnorman1236 My kids took a milk crate to the library.