There is No Frigate Like a Book

There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away,
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry –
This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll –
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears a Human soul.

---Emily Dickinson

Anyone who has ever been to my house or who knows me well knows that I own a lot of books.
The fact is, I love books. They are my friends, my respite from a weary world, traveling
companion to lands far away, education,inspiration, thought provocation.

I'll read almost anything, although I do draw the line at romance novels and cheap dime store
novels. Among the collection in my personal library are books on art, philosophy, history,the
classics, southern literature, mythology,religion, poetry, memoir, biography, cycling and even
a cookbook or two from the Junior League.

When I was in college there was a popular professor of English on campus who was purported
to often admonish his students, "Don't let your schooling get in the way of your education." I
must admit, much of the coursework I completed in college may have helped my obtain a college
diploma, but my real education came by way of the many hours I have spent in solitude curled up
with a book.

I know people who don't read books. I pity them. Some of them seem shockingly proud of their
lack of literacy. There was that one roommate in college who owned exactly one book. I have no
idea how it came into her possession or why. It was a John Grisham novel and took her months
to get through the first half of the book. She was not at all embarrassed by this. What she was
seemingly most proud of, however, was her busy dating life. Once, she confessed to me that she
had been asked on a date with almost every boy she knew. What she seemed not to notice at all
is that she never seemed to make it past the third date with any one boy. Even her pretty face
and short skirts showing off shapely legs could not mask the fact that at a certain point she
would be expected to hold up her end of the conversation. A task she never quite seemed to master.

The other day I saw historian and writer David McCullough interviewed on TV by Charlie Rose.
The author spoke of the importance for public officials to be well read on history and that his
advice to anyone who wanted to be a journalist would be not to get a degree in journalism, but
 to study literature, philosophy, history, anything to give them a broad,well rounded education
about the world around them.

When I was a teenager I started reading newspapers and watching the evening news on a
somewhat regular basis. I have kept up this practice over the years. I like to know what is
going on. I like to get my news from different sources, conservative, liberal, international,
local, national, PBS, and online websites. I get great insight by getting my new from
different sources and points of view. I question, reflect, compare, and contrast the information I receive and then
form my own opinions based on my analysis and information. It troubles me when people tell me they don't watch the
news or that they will only read one particular newspaper or watch one particular network or news show.
This shows me a complete lack of critical thinking on their part and indicates that they have completely given up their
right to think independently. People who can't think for themselves easily allow others to manipulate them at a heavy
price.

One of my favorite teachers in school was my 10th grade English teacher named Mr. Henry. It has been many years
since I have sat in his class absorbing his love of literature, being inspired to write by his admonitions, and, most
importantly, being prodded out of my teenage complacency to think. Mr. Henry would bellow, "You people have got to
learn to THINK." I know we frustrated him then. He probably never thought he got through to us on any of these
points, but I loved his class and still hear his voice reverberating in my ears after all these years.

Recently someone advised me that i should get rid of some of my books because I have so many of them as if they
were nothing but clutter. I was horrified to hear my precious tomes of literature reduced to nothing more than fodder
for the landfill. I may own alot of books, but the fact is, I do read them often. And after that I continue to peruse their
pages over and over again. They remind me to value the printed page, ideas, thought, a well told story, education and
art.

It is not so long ago that books were too expensive for most people to afford to have in their homes. Many of us might
be shocked to learn how few generations back we would have to travel to find someone in our family who was the first
person to learn to read or go to school. I see the recent political uprisings in the middle east and am grateful to live in
a country where I am not persecuted to say what I want,speak out against the government and own what books I
choose.

Years ago I was a volunteer tutor in an adult literacy program. I worked with adults who were trying to learn to read at
an age when many people would have given up. I learned first hand how hard life is for the person who cannot read at
a basic level of literacy. They can't fill out a job application, get or keep most jobs, can't read a menu at McDonald's,
read a newspaper or warning sign. The horizon for an adult non-reader is very limited in many ways.

What is really frightening to me is that we live in a nation where books and education are so easily available to the
general population and yet so unappreciated by so many. Those who can read and do not have no advantage over the
person who cannot read at all.