Dangermond.org

When I took Tin for his 3-year check up the doctor asked if he is telling stories. And I said yes, we tell stories a lot. She asked, does he tell them? “Yes,” I said.

There is no doubt in my mind that if you read to a child their world will enlarge. I remember when a client of mine told me he didn’t read fiction and I said, “Why not?” He said he was only concerned with facts, and I said well fiction contains all the facts of life. Reading, story telling, fiction or nonfiction – reading gives us the tool to think outside our own box, to imagine a world better or worse or just different from our own. For a child growing up with not a lot of options – reading is a gateway.

The phone rang at 6:30 this morning and an elderly woman said, “RACHEL DANGERMOND,” and I said yes in my groggy state. “I was read to as a child by my mother and I thank you so much for writing that in the paper today, reading matters.” I thanked her and then got up out of bed.

On Monday a man had written into the Times Picayune saying taxpayers shouldn’t have to fund pre-K – while I applaud his reading to his grandchild, it is disconcerting that he espoused a very narrow view of the world. I had written to the Times Picayune in response and that is why the early morning phone call.

Reading to a child is everything – the whole kit and caboodle – but more importantly, is an understanding, an empathy for those less fortunate than we are.

The story is the same no matter where you go.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 at 11:07 am and is filed under Main. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.