This morning, on my tram ride to work, I saw a little boy sitting by the window, deeply engrossed in his book. I could not stop myself from starting a conversation with his mother. Generally I am afraid to talk to strangers in Switzerland because it is not a common practice here that a stranger starts talking to you that too in English.. But today I made an exception..
I grew up in company of books. They fueled my imagination and curiosity about the world. They also inspired me to get out my comfort zone at a very young age.. Reading a book still gives me an immense joy. But when I look at all the multimedia and games that predominate the childhood today, I feel a dull ache in my heart.. Nothing against the play stations, video games, computer games and clutter of i pads, smart phones, kindles and computers, they have a role of their own and advantages too.. but still loss of books that can be smelled, touched, held in one's hands and carried in one's school bag makes me a bit lost... I do admit that in last decade or so, all I read was professional literature.. and that affected my brain rather adversely.. so recently I decided to bring books back in my life, to give them their deserved honored place... I started borrowing and buying books that have nothing to do with my work life.. and they make such a difference...
So seeing this boy this morning lost in his book resonated deeply with my own life... and my compliment was well received by his mother.. boy was not interested in talking to me.. I am sure his book was more interesting.. but the mother shared my feelings.. She said she grew up with books and is very happy that her son shares that passion... she also noted that it is pretty rare for boys to be fond of books.. and she hopes that her boy would continue to be friends with books..
I wished them both happy reading hours and walked out of the tram feeling happy and inspired to write this blog post... when i was a child, my mom told me-'if you want to be a good writer, you need to read a lot of good books'.. I agree but I want to add, being able to observe everyday life and noticing such little experiences also helps me write...
Keep reading and stay happy... Have a great day ahead...
I grew up in company of books. They fueled my imagination and curiosity about the world. They also inspired me to get out my comfort zone at a very young age.. Reading a book still gives me an immense joy. But when I look at all the multimedia and games that predominate the childhood today, I feel a dull ache in my heart.. Nothing against the play stations, video games, computer games and clutter of i pads, smart phones, kindles and computers, they have a role of their own and advantages too.. but still loss of books that can be smelled, touched, held in one's hands and carried in one's school bag makes me a bit lost... I do admit that in last decade or so, all I read was professional literature.. and that affected my brain rather adversely.. so recently I decided to bring books back in my life, to give them their deserved honored place... I started borrowing and buying books that have nothing to do with my work life.. and they make such a difference...
So seeing this boy this morning lost in his book resonated deeply with my own life... and my compliment was well received by his mother.. boy was not interested in talking to me.. I am sure his book was more interesting.. but the mother shared my feelings.. She said she grew up with books and is very happy that her son shares that passion... she also noted that it is pretty rare for boys to be fond of books.. and she hopes that her boy would continue to be friends with books..
I wished them both happy reading hours and walked out of the tram feeling happy and inspired to write this blog post... when i was a child, my mom told me-'if you want to be a good writer, you need to read a lot of good books'.. I agree but I want to add, being able to observe everyday life and noticing such little experiences also helps me write...
Keep reading and stay happy... Have a great day ahead...
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