American History

So, during college, having attended the prestigious Truman State University, one of the favored past times of my fellow students was telling tales of woe about our university's namesake. In other words, Truman was a horrible, racist, white man. He embodied all that was wrong about our country's history. Etc., etc., etc.

In my reading tonight, my book made a really good point. People change. Duh, right? And, people do what they learn. For crying out loud, Truman was born and raised in RURAL Missouri! I mean, we still have rampant racism today, and we're talking 60 some odd years after the fact!!! Truman was born and raised to believe that both blacks and whites wanted--and benefited--from segregation. Truman hosted a delegation on race issues who gave him graphic depictions of happenings in the south, and these descriptions appalled him. He then created a permanent civil rights commission to investigate abuses. He also made it illegal to discriminate in hiring federal employees, and later it was Truman that issued an executive order to end segregation in the armed forces. (Although the army dragged it's feet for a few years.)

My point? People can change. Truman was raised to be racist. He learned to change his perceptions and expand his view of the world. He was able to accept when he was wrong (whether or not he admitted it to others is neither he nor there) and make changes to remedy the situation. I dig that. Moving forward. Making changes....improving the way one relates to people in this world. That's a great ideal...don't you think?

That's honestly what I love about reading. To some people reading is simply an escape...a way to leave the worries of their hectic lives. And, for those people, that's awesome! In the past few years, I've found that most of the books--kids books, fiction, non-fiction--have profoundly affected the way I view my life, and my relationships. I've read SO many books that have made me reasses the way I see my family, that it would be pointless to begin naming them. But, because this is my site, I will anyway: One True Thing, The Red Tent, The Princess Bride, Little Women, The Joy-Luck Club, etc.

Little Women made me sell my house. When Meg got married and moved into her knew house, I realized the importance of having our first home be "our first home." That's why I sold my house...so that Bibi and I could have a chance to make OUR home...well, OUR home.

There are other things, too...books that make you see humor where you didn't before...books that make you see tragedy where you didn't before...books that make you see....where you couldn't before. All of these things? They're gifts from God. Whether your book is just an escape or a life-altering experience...God is in the pages of the books we read...He gives us the ability to take away from a book that which we are able to.

Yeah.

Thanks for reading...