I have to read - have read all my life. That's one good thing my JW mother did - she read constantly, bought us books, often we'd all be in a different chair in the living room, each immersed in a different book. When we were younger and I imagine very wild and hard to deal with, she walked us to the library a couple of times a week, a walk of about 3 miles or so, and we could pick out all the books we wanted, put them in the cart she dragged along, and walk home again. We loved it, and all of us kids grew up to be greedy readers, fiction, non-fiction, doesn't matter. It's a wonderful way to live.
Reading a Novel. An act of empathy.
by Open mind 15 Replies latest jw friends
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Open mind
Narkissos, jaguarbass, llbh & Hortensia,
I Salute You!
Kindred spirits one and all.
Here's to the life of the mind.
(Even if we still can't really figure anything out by the time it's all over.)
Open Mind
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Madame Quixote
Gah! OM, read for hours out loud TO THEM, whether they want to hear it or not, LOL. Play books on tape instead of turning on the radio or t.v. I wish I could remember what it was I started reading to my daughter a few months back, FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE of hours. She wasn't interested at first, but eventually, I could see her bemusement; and her interest getting piqued. Why can't I remember what I was reading to her? Sometimes when I'm reading, I pop in on her computer time and share points with her. Also, once in a while she "accidentally" gets to hear "Selected Shorts" on Public Radio while I'm listening. I love it when I see that she is even half-way listening to the story. She usually only reads "graphic novels," so it is hard to get her attention for other kinds of lit, but it is a delight to see it happen.CoCo:
I spend hours daily in a book
That's a luxury I'm looking forward to when the kids are grown.
In the meantime, I enjoy hearing whatever literary crumbs people drop here and there.
Take care.
Open Mind
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Paralipomenon
I spend at least two hours in the car commuting every day. In bad weather, up to four.
I have picked up a passion of listening to audio books. I try to alternate between fiction and non-fiction. Learn for a while, then relax for a while.
The last one I've read was "The Death of Vishnu", which is centered in India and a very rich depiction of Indian daily culture. I would definitely recommend it.
As with anything, you can go overboard. Too much fiction and you may run the risk of losing grip on reality. -
Open mind
Good ideas MQ!
Some of the TV watching I think is actually beneficial in helping them break free from JWism. So I mainly try to curb the quantity of what they watch. I want the dubs to seem really wacko when they hear some anti-TV message at a meeting or assembly. I heard somewhere that the upcoming Circuit Assembly has some slam on TV watching. Can't remember where now.
I do enforce a little bit of books on tape sometimes when we're on a long car trip. They'll often object at first, but the majority of the time, they end up enjoying it. Of course, then I let them play whatever music they want when it's their "turn" to pick what we listen to.
Kinda like eating intellectual vegetables I'd say. Sometimes they end up actually liking them!
Open Mind
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Open mind
Thanks for your thoughts too Para.
I'm a huge Audio Book fan.
If anyone is considering getting "The Power of Now" by Eckhard Tolle, I HIGHLY recommend getting the audio version. I got it from the local library.
Some of my Audio Book experiences have been better than just the book. Not many, but some.
Open Mind