Sep 16 2008
Books and Childhood
I remember books since I was very little. I was lucky to have a mother and father who read to me every night at bedtime. It was usually my favorite part of the whole day. I loved to hear how each story presented its own set of characters, how everything was described, and how the main character always solved the problem they were faced with before the story was over. Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein were my favorites, but that didn’t last long…
My mom was (and still is) an avid reader. I watched her read her favorite crime and mystery books and loved to poke through her enormous book shelve full of these fiction stories. I caught onto reading very quickly and by the time I was about seven years old I was sneaking my nephew’s Stephen King books into my room. I would curl up on my bed with a Stephen King book and my dictionary (so I could look up those hard words!) and enjoy the stories. By sixth grade I was writing horror short stories in writing class where my teacher thought I should grow up to be an author. By my teen years I was writing poetry and experimenting with other genres.
High school was difficult. School guidance counselors wanted me to choose a career to focus on and start applying to colleges. I couldn’t choose something, so I ended up working in various retail and customer service jobs. I always knew I could do better. I just didn’t know what to do.
In 2000 I started dating this man who I fell head over heels for. He was everything I was looking for in a companion. I wasn’t sure of myself when I met him, but he persisted in asking questions so I could ponder the answers: What makes you happy? What do you truly enjoy? ETC.
I had no idea how to answer these questions. Finally, when we got our own apartment together I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. I was all over the place. One day he suddenly said, “If you enjoy writing so much why don’t you just do that?”
What a concept! I could actually make money as a writer! That was it. I think it was that same day that I started preparing myself for a career in writing. I have now been a successful, full-time freelance writer for six years and we have been married for almost two years!
Sometimes the answer is right in front of you the whole time waiting for you to realize it is there, even if it takes someone in your life to point it out for you.
I’ve been an avid reader from the time I was able to sound out the words. I remember when I, as an elementary student, used to beg the school librarian to let me visit the “big kids” books from the high school library. My love of books has never faded. Now I’m a writer who’s working on a children’s novel of my own.
I read this and could absolutely identify with it. It’s remarkable to me how many freelance writers have the same sort of story. Kind of like we stumbled into this one day and went, “yeah, that’ll do.”
My parents read to me each night and now I don’t let my kids go to sleep with at least one book (but usually four). I think the love of reading comes before the need for reading.
Congrats, pjmolinario and jessicaf! Keep reading and writing!