Books, Books and More Books

Kathy Sporre ♦ April 16, 2013 ♦ 3 Comments

Going into a bookstore for me is like a child walking into a candy store. My eyes widen as they take in all the  flavors of knowledge and possibilities for expanding my mind. I prefer to purchase my books and build my own library rather than loan them from a public one. I’m still not sure whether I like my Kindle better than I do the feeling of holding a book and turning the pages; using my yellow highlighter on the important points. The problem with this: everything seems important when I’m learning something new. (I might as well color the pages yellow.)

Overall, I prefer reading nonfiction to fiction, because my goal in reading is more to learn than to be entertained. I seem to go in fits and spurts, with winter being my main season for reading (thanks to the cold MN winters). I recently had to clear off my nightstand because the pile of books was about a foot high with bookmarks in most of them. I realized then that I needed to focus more. Now there is one book on my nightstand. (The rest are in the drawer waiting to be read in due time; one by one.) I’m not sure how many more are on my Kindle waiting to be read, but I know it’s more than three. (Amazon loves me!)

I dream of writing a book myself one day. I’ve enjoyed writing since I was a child. A few years ago I stumbled upon a “book” I had written when I was about nine. It was a book only a mother would enjoy reading (or one’s children who might find it highly amusing).

I’ve always enjoyed learning, although mandatory learning has never been my preferred style. I never really liked to read much until after I graduated from high school. Then I couldn’t get enough of it; must be a bit of the rebel in me.

I simply love lifelong learning. It feels nothing like school learning felt to me. Lifelong learning is more exhilarating, exciting and leaves me hungry for more; which brings me back to the candy store metaphor. Yummy!

I’m getting closer than ever before to writing my own book. I have an idea or two about what I want to write about; both fiction and nonfiction. I fantasize about writing one of those fictional stories that takes four or five books to complete, sells millions of copies and is made into a movie. I fantasize about writing a book that helps people lead a better life in order to become Refined by Age.™ I fantasize about using my writing abilities to share my experience and give others hope in their despair; to touch lives and leave this world a little better for having been here.

That is the legacy I would like to leave.

INTELLECTUAL WELLNESS – Keep your brain active! Learn a new activity, solve puzzles, play brain games.

VOCATIONAL WELLNESS – Working keeps us engaged and growing. If you’re not working, volunteer to help others, get involved in an avocation.