I've been reading a novel by the author James Fenimore Cooper, who was the first American novelist. The story is called The Pioneers (excuse the lack of Italics; I can't get it to work correctly) and was written in 1823. Did I mention I have been laboring over this book for six months? This was his first novel and it is so boorrring! I finally had to stop and move onto the next story, The Last of the Mohicans.
Now here is my point--why do I have this goal to read a large majority of books written during and before the 18th century? This year my daughter gave me two books written by Charles Dickens (wink-wink-private joke). There is not a prize for this, nobody comes to my house and gushes over my library (small book shelf-crammed with books). It's just something inside that I am pressed to accomplish.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 1 Corinthians 9:24
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
We should have goals within; that is how we roll (sorry, too much news). My favorite saying for my students who are reading to be finished first is this: "There are no prizes for those who finish the story first". Well, maybe there is a prize--a desire that only the child knows is there, for him/herself. Who am I to judge what motivates?
4 comments:
That is a good point about not judging. There are many paths down the road of reading!
It's funny you should post about this... a couple of days ago Chris, at A Deliberate Life, posted about a book list that "they" say all people should read. Well, I immediately wanted to run right out to the library, because I had only read about half of them... then I thought, Huh? Who am I trying to impress. Some of the books on the list weren't even the type or had the kind of values that I even wanted to read!
My favorite way now is to "read" books on tape from the library while I do chores around the house. Even books hard to get through become interesting that way! Why, I ALMOST made it all the way thru Moby Dick, LOL!!
Loretta
=^..^=
Glad to see you back! Always enjoy reading your posts!
We've been pretty lucky that our state's budget's, even though it's having problems, is still in tact. There are some districts that are doing major cuts, but ours is still doing okay... for now!
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