How often do I reflect on the things I learn? So many new ideas and feelings pass through my head daily, but how many of them make an impact? Does my new knowledge reform the way I think? Does it radically change how I act? Does it even effect how I feel? Sadly, 98.9% of the time, no. Oh, but what if it did?
Books give us experiences through someone else's life or imagination. Recently I have learned how to ride a hoverboard, climb the tallest tree around and gaze of into the world, befriend an annoying neighbor, raise chickens, terribly miss a father who is at war, teach a mentally handicapped brother how to act in social situations, and even have a cup of tea with my closest fourth-grade friends. While all of these things were engaging and intriguing to my imagination, what have I learned?
I have learned that books are not meant simply for entertainment. They are meant to teach you things that you never knew you would need to know. No, my father will never go off to war, but I will be without him one day and I will do all I can to remember him fondly. No, I will never be a fourth-grader who meets every Saturday with my closest friends to have tea, but I will one day have a fourth grader who is looking to connect and spend time with friends. No, I will never have a mentally handicapped brother, but through the experiences I have had in reading I know just a small bit more about interacting and treating each and every individual with love and patience, no matter their IQ or physical ability.
What if we stop, reflect, and embrace? We will not only enjoy words on a page or stories from someones mouth, but we will learn about life and the people that occupy it.
Enlightened, joyful, and excited,
Christy.
No comments:
Post a Comment