DID WE READ THOSE BOOKS AT OUR CHILDREN'S AGE?

Pic.: Alwyn Mathias

Some days ago, I was returning from Pune. The moment I got into the Shivneri bus, I saw a young college-girl, who had already settled in one of the front seats, reading what looked like a very-fat novel. While I was getting off the bus, here in Mumbai, I saw her still reading it!

I thought of the two slim books I had tucked into my hand bag… I, always, keep with me a book, magazine or a newspaper with me while travelling. In fact, you get to pick up a free newspaper while travelling by Shivneri… But, on this journey of more than three and half hours, I did not read a single line… yes, either from the two books I was carrying or from the newspaper… The sight of the young college-girl reading, right as I stepped into the bus, hadn’t inspired me to take out one of my books or the newspaper… I just preferred to gaze out of the window or glide through my quiet thoughts or simply take some nap… I hardly, even, spoke to my wife who sat next to me… I just preferred to be by myself…

And, there are times, like that young girl, I take out the book even before I settle down on my seat in the bus, train, car or plane and refuse to close it even when I am supposed to step out…  Many a time, I just open a page – any page which holds my attention – read it… at times, just a few lines from it… and, then close the book… look out of the window… for long, long time just soak in my thoughts… and, then, again, take out the book, any page, any lines… Many a time, it may be something from the introduction, preface or afterword, and some other times, it is just to enjoy how the author begins and ends… Rarely did I read a book from cover to cover…

Fat books, put me off…

Fiction books – no matter how popular they are, and whether mystery, sci-fi, romance whatever – I don’t prefer them…

I love any stories when they are presented before me in an abridged version, when they are colorfully illustrated, when the fonts are big, text is less on a page… In other worlds, just the way little children would be lured to read…

I love biographies, success stories, inspirational books, literature, short stories, simple poems, dramatically-told history or spiritual books…

But, I would not read them cover to cover… never at one go…  Even a small book like ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ or ‘Fish’ would take days to be completed… I have read, and I still read, Kahlil Gibran’s ‘The Prophet’ and Richard Bach’s ‘Illusions’ and ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’ in the same manner… The book that changed my life – Napoleon Hill’s ‘Think and Grow Rich’… yes, I have read it, and still do, in the same way…

Last morning, nine-year-old Prateek’s* mom was talking to me about his reading habits. Apparently, his school wants the little-ones to develop reading habit early in life.  The kids are encouraged to read books in the library and take the books home. The mother, too, wants Prateek to ‘progress’ in his reading habit… But, the complain to me, last morning, was: “Sir, he doesn’t complete even two or three pages at one time… He still loves colorfully-illustrated books… written in big letters… He refuses to read certain story books which his teacher or I would want him to read… How can we motivate him to come around?”

“Ma’am, you are seeking advice from a wrong person,” I told this mother laughingly. She was confused. Then, I narrated to her my own reading habits… “Ma’am, I love books, I love reading… Nobody had inspired me or coaxed me to do so… I can’t read what many others read and I can’t do it the way they do… But, I feel very, very happy when I read, and how I read… Is it not enough? Is it not what finally matters?”

The lady sounded a lot relieved.

Then, I asked her this: “Ma’am, did you read those books at your son’s age?”

“No sir.”

“Did you read just because someone coaxed you?”

“No sir.”

“Do you think, Prateek’s teacher had?”

Prateek’s mom did not give me answer to this… But, evidently, she had found the answer!

Then, late in the evening, another lady called me up. I did not know this lady. “Sir, I am Dr. so and so and I got your reference from Mrs. so and so (a mother of one of my students). We have a lady’s group, all book-lovers… and, we have taken an initiative to spread the awareness of reading early in life… We encourage it by donating good books to right places… We are keen to hand over some good books to your institute; we are sure they would serve our objective.”

I complimented the lady and her group… We spoke for more than twenty minutes… Yes, I did tell this lady, too, about my own reading habits… My latest return-journey from Pune… How, for years and years, so many of the books placed in our own library  - for over twenty-five years that is – have not been touched by our own kids… and, on the other hand, how someone would travel, from miles and miles afar, just to pick up a book or two…

This lady, too, struck a lovely chord with me, last evening. I hope, I am not naïve when I say so!

So, what is the moral of the story?

In fact, I forgot to tell you this: there are times, I just go for the moral of the story… and, with that, complete reading a great book!

*Name changed

GERALD D’CUNHA