A Crate of Treasures...A Found Friend

Anyone who knows me knows that I love books. Upon my arrival at my previous job, my coworkers quickly learned that I was a reader. During slow periods, they observed me devour books whether for study or pleasure. Always seeking to procure books for Cultivating You, Inc., I announced to everyone that I'd be more than happy to relieve them of any of their unwanted books. One of my fellow coworkers had begun replacing his paperbacks with electronic copies. A day earlier than promised, Kyle brought me a crate filled with books. As I walked in the door before the start of my shift, my co-workers bombarded me with requests to borrow a book. Dumbfounded I responded, "what books?"

After surveying my newest acquisitions, I allowed everyone to go through them. Jenny picked out two science fiction novels, Samantha grabbed Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, while Allen selected The Watsons Go to Birmingham. Both Samantha and Allen surprised me when they chose a book. Samantha, a nonreader in her early twenties, stated during a conversation that a book must capture and keep her attention in order for her to read it. Other than reaching for my copy of Nightshade on an extremely slow night at work, I had never seen Samantha with a book nor mention ever one. However, the following night, she related that a section in Chicken Soup discussing "letting go" really helped her.

Although Allen is also a nonreader, he is a freshman majoring in Secondary History Education. Spotting his favorite book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham, he quickly snatched it from the pile. I'm always encouraging nonreaders I encounter to read especially Allen, since he desires to teach. Yet each time he rebuffed my efforts. At the sight of Allen reading, joy washed over me. Not wanting to forget this moment, I snapped a picture of him engrossed in the pages. Unintentionally leaving the book at work, Allen decided to order himself a copy rather than wait five days to be reunited with a borrowed book. The following week Jenny thanked me for the paperbacks saying, "I read and read and read until my bathwater grew cold."

Ah, the joys of reading. Despite their different backgrounds, each of these individuals share past reading experiences, many of which may have been wonderful, terrible, or both. Somewhere along the way, the readers became nonreaders or possibly had never been introduced to the phenomenal world of reading. Jenny, Samantha, and Allen each found in that crate of books exactly what they needed at that time. They touched my heart in ways they cannot imagine. Wow, it's a beautiful thing...living, doing, and being in my purpose of passing on the written word.

*Names changed to protect privacy