Addicted to Reading

I am insatiable when it comes to reading. It has always been my passion.

I have read all my life. I read bible stories during my elementary days. I read komiks, tagalog pocketbooks, Bisaya and Liwayway magazines in my high school days. I have always been reading newspapers, magazines, and fiction books up to now. Lately, I am into inspirational books and self-help books for a change and I like them a lot better.

When I was a pupil, I was already a voracious reader. I remember it right when my grandmother sent me for an errand; I always stop by at a teacher’s house just to read bible stories. The cover of  the book was grayish in color and it looked aged in fact some of the pages had been torn and tattered. I liked to read it because there were colored pictures in every pages and it helped me understood since it was written in English. I always remember the story of David and Goliath, Samson, Moses, Abraham, Abel and Cain, Jonah and the Whale, John the Baptist, Salome, of course about Jesus Christ and many others. I don’t know if Ma’am Soming noticed my presence in their living room every so often that time, anyhow, they had “betamax” showing then and people were a typical sight in their house.

When I was in high school, I was present at all times in “komiks and news stand” in the public market. I always keep money for komiks. My favorites were Tagalog Klasiks, Pinoy Komiks, Pinoy Klasiks and Aliwan. “Babangon Ako’t Dudurugin Kita” was my most looked-for story then. There were many times that my father and I bumped each other because he also read tabloid everyday. I knew he was not happy to see me there but I just grinned at him mischievously.

In my first marriage, I began to get interested in current events. My good father-in- law subscribed Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper everyday and he always gives the papers to me after reading it. If I couldn’t understand the meaning of a certain word, I asked him and he always shares his point of view in a certain issues on politics, peace and order, and economy, among others. I learned the meaning of “plebiscite” from him and he explained to me the difference between election and plebiscite. At any rate, my sis-n-law got Sidney Sheldon book entitled “Master of the Game” and when I got to read it, I’ve started to get addicted to read any kind of books since then. At present, I have bunch of books authored by Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel, Dan Brown, John Grisham and many others.

During my employment in the provincial government, I always go to the library during lunchtime or when I feel so sleepy during siesta time. My workmates knew where to look for me if I am not around in the office. I got to read all Good Housekeeping magazines, Reader’s Digest, cookbooks, newspapers both Manila Times and Philippine Daily Inquirer in the library. In short, I am a patron there.

When I got here in U.S., hubby took me to the community library and I registered myself there. I borrowed grammar books to improve my “carabao” English. But later on I got interested in craft books so I borrowed one about “beadwork” that eventually taught me how to make earrings, bracelet, necklace and many other crafts.

Without reading resources, I think life would be blue!

Shall we read?