Once upon a time there were books. Stories printed on white sheets of paper, all bound together between two hardcovers. Sometimes there were pictures to help illustrate these stories.
These books were like specials friends who took me to wondrous places, introduced me to amazing characters, and fed my imagination.
When I was young, I would sit for hours transported into my stories. I would hide under my blankets at night, reading by the yellow glow from my flashlight. Thinking I was doing something forbidden, my adventure were all the more exciting.
I met characters who became friends… Laura, who grew up on the prairie; and Heidi who lived with her grandfather in the Alps; and Charlie who won a chocolate factory.
I traveled to realms far off in another galaxy and to magical mythical lands, where I mingled with fanciful creatures – unicorns and dragons, Hobbits and elves, Martians and Lilliputians.
Those days are long past, but I can still get lost in a book, become attached to its characters and their lives. I miss the hours I spent in these other worlds, cherishing what few opportunities I now find to let my imagination fly free.
Thin spiral notebook 
One of my greatest joys is seeing my 8 month old son pull the hard cover books off of the bottom shelf and start flipping through the pages…also, one of my greatest pains is seeing my 8 month old son pull a hard cover book off the bottom shelf and rip out the pages…
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This is a wonderful recollection, and it is beautifully written. Thanks for this!
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I read in my room or my parents basements. But my grandparents, the ones who passed away, had this huge living room couch that made me look like I was 2 all the time. I would read comics, books, and magazines there.
That picture is adorable.
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Big comfy chairs are the best for reading, all curled up with a favorite book.
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or big beds lying on your tummy…I used to read and write pauley and Millicent that way
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or my favorite… couch cushion forts.
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Beautifully written! I totally relate, I would hide in my room reading constantly while my mum shouted for me to ‘go outside and play!’ I thought that when I got older I would read non stop, no one ever tells you that life gets in the way…
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That grown-up life stuff messes up all sorts of childhood fun.
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I loved reading when I was young. I love passing it on to a new generation here in Honduras.
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My daughter also inherited my love of books, but we like different genres of stories.
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