Some of my earliest recollections are based on reading such books at Bambi (NOT the Disney version), The Wind in the Willows, The Five Little Peppers, The Bobbsey Twins ... well, I could go on and on. I've written extensively over at Mama Kat's World Famous Writer's Workshop about the influences of books in my early life. (In fact, if you click on Mama Kat, in my Labels list on my side bar, you can find several posts about the influence books have had on me as well as tons of life stories. So many in fact, that I'm kind of worried I might run out before this challenge is over ... nah, I'm sure I can come up with more.)
I've said all that to say this: I have lived stories. Just like practically everyone else, there were dysfunctional parts of my life and my escape from them were stories. Holed up in my room devouring stories seemed like a great alternative to thinking about what was going wrong in real life.
I would get so involved in my books that I was oblivious to life around me. My mom used to joke that I would never hear anything she said to me unless she mentioned the word, "Pepsi." My ears would always "perk up" and hear that word!
After awhile, I learned to cast myself in the roles of the characters in the pages. Therefore, I lived the life of a veterinarian, a castaway, a spy, a writer, a pioneer and a blind girl all before I even entered High School. To read the story of how I became, in my own mind, Mary Ingalls from the Little House on the Prairie fame, is to really begin to understand a little bit of who I am.
Of course, the greatest storybook ever is the Bible with tons and tons of interesting characters and enough stories to give me something to think about every day. Who can forget the amazing stories of Noah, Moses, David, Esther and Ruth? What about Daniel and the lion's den or the three Hebrew children who came through the fire without even having the smell of smoke on their clothes?
The good, bad and the ugly, it's all in there. The bible gives me hope because I see the mistakes that were made as well as the redemption in each of these stories.
But the best one yet, is the story of Jesus, who ON PURPOSE came to give His life for me knowing already that I was going to mess up and yet came anyway.
Friends, you can't find a better page-turner than that.
What about you? Have stories made a big impression in your life? What's the best story you ever heard?
This post is #14 in my series, 31 Days of Life Stories. Hundreds of writers are linking up at the 31 Day Writing Challenge hosted by Crystal Stine. There is a wealth of information on many topics. Go visit and see! I'll be posting under the category "Inspiration and Faith."
I love to read, always have
ReplyDeleteI was always a dsy dreamer so enjoyed getting lost in books.
ReplyDeleteBetty
I always love stories of redemption and justice. I love happy endings where things come together well. I really lost myself in the Little House on the Prairie series. In my adult years sometimes I weep at the end of a good book or series like The Lord of the Rings. I still can remember how excited I was to start reading in grade school.
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