February Firsts: Jennine G - Two Firsts in a Life of Reading Extremes

Today, please welcome Jennine G of My Life in Books!  


Two Firsts in a Life of Reading Extremes

When one has a hobby, one will sometimes go to extremes to participate in it. The funny thing is, said person doesn't always realize she is going to extremes. Take third grade, nine-year-old me. All she knows is that she would rather be reading than anything else. Conveniently, grandma babysits, so a "stomach ache" is easily feigned and a day of school becomes a day of reading. 

Literature of choice is none other than Ribsy, by Beverly Cleary. The Curious George of dogs, Ribsy gets himself into all kinds of scrapes. And nine-year-old me loves dogs...and Beverly Cleary. Plus, not being an adventurous kid, Ribsy provides a little vicarious fun.

Lying behind the La-Z-Boy rocking recliner all day, forming a right angle on my back with legs up along the wall and book hovering over my face, grandma had to know I wasn't all that sick. But I'd have to say that day was one of grandma's wisest, whether she knew it or not. At age 35 I still look back on that day as one...no two...of my "reading firsts." It was the first time I broke a rule so I could read...and playing hooky from school no less, my future being that of a teacher! The second first, I read the entire 200+ pages of Ribsy's slightly larger font that day. My first time reading a book in its entirety in one day, but certainly not my last.

I didn't realize at the time how strange it may seem to others that a young child would be so taken with reading. And I didn't realize at the time how that hobby would become a routine in my life. In sixth grade I made a reading themed sweatshirt for a competition. In eighth grade I was incensed that our school didn't allow us to attend the local college's reading festival because they considered the books questionable. In tenth grade I realized (and wondered how) I knew more about classics than my English teacher. Senior year my government teacher always came by my desk "to see what [I was] reading now." And then two degrees in English to top it off. At this point, I don't consider reading a hobby, something I do in my spare time. It is a staple for which I purposely carve out time. Reading has helped me connect to others and the world, taught me history, given me imagination, and formed my career. Reading has literally formed my life, so forgive me if it seems a little extreme.


Thanks, Jennine!

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