This is terrific. My mom was a teacher, so growing up my sister and I were always surrounded by books. The library was our second home. By age four, my sister was reading on her own.
Of course, our mom read us the obligatory lot: Curious George, Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl. But, we were also introduced to the ancient mythology of countless countries, lore handed down for centuries by the Gullah slaves of the southern coast, exciting stories of sunken pirate ships and the riches they contained, and the list goes on.
Through my dad, I developed a fascination for The Civil War and geology. Many a day were spent exploring battle sites and museums. He was an international businessman, and each return brought something wonderful: a troll from Norway, an agate and fluorite crystal from Portugal, a cricket bat from England. And always, there were strange coins with words like Kroner, Peseta, and, Pfenning where Quarter, Nickel, and Dime should have been.
My parents instilled within me a lust for learning I've carried with me into middle age. I passed it along to my son, who does not let his autism and intellectual disabilities tilt his curiosity.
Thirty five years later, that cricket bat remains by my dad's favorite couch. Legend has it, he used it to thwart an inebriated group of men in London. They were not fond of a yank on their train.
This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing! I love to hear stories like this. I often wonder how many parents sit with their children at night and read them stories anymore. It makes me sad, and this gives me hope.
Thanks for reading that! I missed it the first time around and it was a great addition to my weekly mop. It felt like a pat on the back because even when I am failing at everything else in life, reading to my kids has been a non negotiable. I do hope it grounds them enough for the rest of their lives.
As an aside have you heard malcom gladwell’s retelling of the little mermaid? There are three parts. Linking number one here. Curious what you make of it. 🧜🏼♀️
This is terrific. My mom was a teacher, so growing up my sister and I were always surrounded by books. The library was our second home. By age four, my sister was reading on her own.
Of course, our mom read us the obligatory lot: Curious George, Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl. But, we were also introduced to the ancient mythology of countless countries, lore handed down for centuries by the Gullah slaves of the southern coast, exciting stories of sunken pirate ships and the riches they contained, and the list goes on.
Through my dad, I developed a fascination for The Civil War and geology. Many a day were spent exploring battle sites and museums. He was an international businessman, and each return brought something wonderful: a troll from Norway, an agate and fluorite crystal from Portugal, a cricket bat from England. And always, there were strange coins with words like Kroner, Peseta, and, Pfenning where Quarter, Nickel, and Dime should have been.
My parents instilled within me a lust for learning I've carried with me into middle age. I passed it along to my son, who does not let his autism and intellectual disabilities tilt his curiosity.
Thirty five years later, that cricket bat remains by my dad's favorite couch. Legend has it, he used it to thwart an inebriated group of men in London. They were not fond of a yank on their train.
This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing! I love to hear stories like this. I often wonder how many parents sit with their children at night and read them stories anymore. It makes me sad, and this gives me hope.
Thanks for reading that! I missed it the first time around and it was a great addition to my weekly mop. It felt like a pat on the back because even when I am failing at everything else in life, reading to my kids has been a non negotiable. I do hope it grounds them enough for the rest of their lives.
As an aside have you heard malcom gladwell’s retelling of the little mermaid? There are three parts. Linking number one here. Curious what you make of it. 🧜🏼♀️
https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/revisionist-history/id1119389968?l=en&i=1000529603897
I had not heard of that, so thank you for sharing! I will have a listen.
A really great listen. Thank you.