Wednesday, September 1, 2010

My Literary Self

   It seems to me that my earliest memories of literature, after deep reflection and prolonged action to do anything about it, I have come to the simple conclusion that, at least my favorite anyways, is whenever my Dad would read to us as we fell asleep. He liked reading the adventure stories like Frank Peretti's "The Cooper Family Adventures", and then J.R.R. Tolkein's quotable "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. They were inspiring and the only thing I would really look forward to when the day had come to and end. There's nothing like falling asleep to a story that involves such perilous adventures and life and death situations, I'm sure if you were to ask my parents they would say they made for great dreams to be told about in the early mornings before school .
   But through this my Father had instilled within me an uncanny nature to just read. "Knowledge is Power!" He would sometimes say, and even though it took awhile for me to actually pick a book that I thought I would enjoy, I did, and there's been at least one in my hand ever since. He birthed that passion to learn, that passion to read.
   The most significant piece of literature I've read, besides the bible (which I still haven't even read all the way through yet), wold have to be "Worldliness" edited by C.J. Mahaney; I had also just finished reading before I left for India, and so need less to say God pretty much messed me up in preparation for that little adventure, but it made me really re-examine my outlook on life, and forced me to notice things that I needed to work on, as much as I didn't want to. It helped me see who I am, and who I've been called to be. Where I'm at, and where I should be.
   Literature has value in the sense that without it, we wouldn't be where we are today. Even if the art of writing on paper gets outdated and goes out of style, it was important because it was a necessary part of the process to get there. Literature is important and shows promise in the single fact that literature provides understanding. There are things I can't comprehend, unless I see it written out on paper. But like everything else it has it's pros and cons.
   Literature doesn't matter when it comes to table talk, or opinions/advice (since I feel that opinions/advice are points of views based off of experiences), there are certain things that literature cannot make up for. Literature cannot make up for an experience. Just because you read a very well written book about skydiving, does not mean that you know what it feels like to jump out of a plane, unless of coarse you have had that experience. Literature cannot get you a girlfriend. No matter how many books you read, or how many times you read them. You will never woe a woman until you take significant time to get to know her.

3 comments:

  1. Brother, I like how your dad read you the same Cooper Kids Adventure Series as my dad did! I guess we really are related. Yea, literature does not matter either when it comes to tippin cows.

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  2. Your Dad reading to you reminds me of my mom reading my brothers and sisters the "Chronicles of Narnia" series when I was younger. Also, I completely agree with everything you said about literature being important but not being able to replace real life experience. Sometimes i feel like people can forget that. Great first blog, big guy.

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  3. Seth,
    I really liked this blog because you gave experiences of your life. You basically said that literature made you re-examine you life. Even tho it sounds weird, literature has a really big impact you our lives. And don't you worry Seth, if I wss a Gal like Frankie, you would woe me with you literature;)

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