Curiosity Journal: January 9, 2013

Most Wednesdays (or thereabouts) I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing. Sometimes I mix up the order, just to keep you on your toes.

Reading

The High Calling is hosting a book club discussion featuring Karen Swallow Prior’s Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me.

You can visit this post at The High Calling and scroll down to the comments to find links to posts that people have written in response to the first three chapters. Also, over at her Facebook author page, Jennifer Dukes Lee launched some fun creating pintograms (or whatever they’re called) highlighting quotes from the book.

Though I, like Karen, would have had permission to read widely without much censorship from my parents (at least that I knew about), I did not go wild choosing extremes. Instead, I read through Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and The Hardy Boys. I read books by Marguerite Henry and Beverly Cleary. I favored Richie Rich comic books and carefully turned the pages of Mad Magazines borrowed from my brother. In the midst of this unsophisticated, simplistic reading material, I also read My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George and Kim, by Rudyard Kipling.

Karen describes her approach to books as “indiscriminate, disorderly reading.” I don’t know how indiscriminate I was in my childhood selections, but I was certainly disorderly. Many times I showed up at the library eager to learn a new skill, so I would carry armloads of nonfiction to the checkout desk, intending to satisfy my curiosity about anything from the care and keeping of tadpoles to crocheting, sewing, origami, and sketching techniques. These books did not contribute specifically to my spiritual or moral growth nor develop my deepest beliefs or understanding of Truth, but nonfiction did prepare me for life creatively and practically.

Meanwhile, I did read an occasional classic such as Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein.

I think I read some popular fiction of that time, but I don’t even remember it. I think that may serve as evidence supporting Karen’s premise that “the best way to counteract falsehood is not by suppressing it, but by countering it with truth.” I don’t even remember the meaningless books.

She writes:

The essence of Milton’s argument is that truth is stronger than falsehood; falsehood prevails through the suppression of countering ideas, but truth triumphs in a free and open exchange that allows truth to shine. (19)

The best way I saw truth triumph in my life was by beginning to read the Bible. Around the age of ten or eleven, I did so all on my own, at first understanding only a fraction of what I read from my King James Bible. Over time, thanks to that slow, steady diet of Scripture—its meaning brought to light by the Holy Spirit—created a foundation of truth that helped me discern falsehood both then and now.

Writing

I caught up on a couple of articles for Get Organised and Tweetspeak Poetry, and have been working with writers on final edits for their pieces to be published at The High Calling. You should check out today’s family article by Kimberly Coyle entitled “Lazarus Moments.”

Learning

After a particularly busy Christmas season that included the fun of hosting out-of-country family, I am learning that I need a long break.

Also, I learned the necessity of menu planning when responsible for feeding eleven people.

Playing

One of the joys of hosting is the fun we can have with extended family.

Reacting

As December gives way to January, I usually devote time to reflecting on the previous year and seeking vision for the year ahead. This time, I was so tired, I just rested. This is important, as well, for how can we reflect or seek vision without at first finding rest?

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Images by Ann Kroeker.