By David W. Keeber |
Sedona Public Library
Sedona, AZ - Thanksgiving marks the
beginning of the holiday shopping season. I
know, I know, nowadays it begins closer to the
4th of July, but that is not the point of this
column. Rather, it is the act of holiday giving
that I would like to focus on. In our great
nation, we see this season’s gift giving not in
its original form, that of the three kings
bringing gifts to the baby Jesus, but as a
measure of the financial health of our nation.
Percentage increases in sales over last year,
what those numbers forebode, whether we will
survive as a nation with or without sufficient
consumption at this time of year – it’s all a
bit too much.
I would suggest that the concept of gifting is
appropriate, both at this time of year and
throughout the rest of the eleven months, but
that we consider shifting our focus to more
meaningful gifts. How about we consider gifting
a skill, our time, our attention and concern for
others through actions that speak from the
heart, rather than from the wallet?
What I am talking about is the skill of, the
love for reading. That would be a gift that
would not end up in the landfill, or being
re-gifted (unless the reader decided to pass on
their love of reading). It is an essential skill
for getting ahead, for being successful in life.
One could hardly find a more appropriate gift
with more meaning.
So how does one give the gift of reading? Aside
from buying someone the books they will read, it
is rather easy. It won’t break the bank as there
is no hard cost to this gift. All you need to do
is to read to someone who doesn’t know how to
read. Share your skill, your love of reading and
you will have passed on this all important tool
for life.
Do you have a grandchild, a niece or nephew? Is
there a neighborhood child that you might help
out? Try volunteering at your local library, or
school, or better yet, give some time to an area
literacy center. Yes, that means training and
time, but such a gift should be something from
your heart and your time and talent, freely
given, may well be the most precious gift of
all.
Simply sit down and offer to read to that young
child (although, at the literacy centers, you
may well end up with an adult who wants to
finally learn to read – so much the better!).
Show them how much you enjoy reading. Ask them
to read to you. Help them to understand what it
is that has just been read. Teach them to be
critical readers. Your time, your talents, and
your love of reading will provide the very best
example for the listener.
Now, I know, it is much easier to simply head to
the store and get “something” they would like,
using a minimum of one’s valuable time. We are
all pretty busy. But, if a gift is to have real
meaning, and not just help the economists’
projections, it should reflect some aspect of
you. Reading is just exactly that.
Try doing this simple exercise. Ask your
grandchild, child, niece or nephew, or an
acquaintance if you can read to them. Ask them
to select the book they want you to read. Then,
as you lead them through the pages and
adventures within the book’s covers, catch a
glimpse of their face. If they are not sitting
in rapt attention, eyes intently focused on the
page, well, I’ll eat my hat!
So this holiday season, whether you are gifting
for Christmas, Chanukah, Kwaanza, or any other
celebration, be a bit subversive and spend your
personal capital on the gift of reading. I’ll
bet that it will be a gift you see used year
after year!
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