words

Until something happens it's all to easy to take reading for granted. How fortunate was I to grow up in a world of books and stories. Bedtime stories in particular were a rare treat. I heard folk tales such as 'why the sea is salt' and stories by the brothers Grimm. At Junior school we began with the now none pc Janet and John.
My favourite time of the school day was reading hour. Then came the day when I was so deep in a book that a board duster landed on my desk and broke my concentration! It was a teacher I liked, but somehow I could never forgive that rude awakening.
Moving on the grammar school when the head was our English teacher. Her oft repeated phrase..."First, we shall have bread and butter, then we shall have cake".
Meaning? Parsing nouns, pronouns adverbs and adjectives...English grammar...
That was the 'bread and butter.'
So, what was the 'cake'? Homer's Odyssey...And how old were we? 11
We had library time and I worked my way thro' legends of Greece and Rome. Then a friend mentioned some books by Tolkien and I was as they say 'hooked'. I saved up week after week. Went to a book-store miles away to purchase the books one after another.


Grammar school introduced me to Latin. I stood no chance with it as my mother decided it was 'useless'.
Then we got a new male teacher and my friend showed me how to write very, very tiny writing. Success! We noted the words for the spelling test on postage-stamp size pieces of paper. And, when asked our score loudly proclaimed 'SEX'. That being the Latin for six.


Moving on many years towards the end of my career... Stress and anxiety, such innocent sounding words. But, their toll lasted many years. How distressing to be unable to read and take in what you are reading... Reading phrases and sentences time after time without taking anything in. To a bibliophile that's a 'death knell'. 


It's taken years, but reading is a skill I'm so happy to have regained once more. Having an e-reader is a delicious treat...