For the love of the written word

Read, read, read, read to them, read for them, read with them — read till the young ones develop an unquenchable thirst for reading. Starting from the rubber plastic books in small bathtubs is a good way to develop an interest in the written word.

While initially the pictures attract more attention and the writings appear as funny lines and curves, if persistent, the funny lines and curves start taking shape and transfer us to a dreamland.

Rows after rows of printed volumes, storing in them information, knowledge, keeper of the unknown, a magnet for the curious mind. To read is an art, to familiarise oneself to what was, what is and what can be. Reading at an early stage, helps us to dream — of fairies and elves, princes and princesses, of the innocent and the wicked.

Slowly our minds tend to develop the sense of right and wrong, of bravery and cowardice, of the advantages of honesty and the ultimate failure of the dishonest. Without realising we tend to group up with the right and steer clear off the wrongdoers.

We tend to dream of our own castles and sledges, dream of aiming to serve as a benevolent leader, of having our very own balls. And unknowingly we give ourselves the ability to hope and dream big — for if there is no dream, there is no goal.

As a few more years get added on us, our love for the alphabets increase. Classics in fiction hold us in awe. We read on in unabated breath. The class of the writers, authors and poets increase our thirst. We learn to compare, interpret, discuss and debate. What a wonderful result — of reading!

Comic books hold a very special place in the reading arena. Funny pictures, funny dialogues, but what an art! What a way to present to the impressionable mind of values that are valued in life. We smile and unknowingly we learn effortlessly. We might even imitate the characters or draw them at the back of our books!

Sway with the daffodils

With a little more expanse, we include poetry in our list. “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, Where knowledge is free” — Rabindranath Tagore, gives us a shiver. We yearn to be such. The very power of words to paint pictures in front of us is magical. Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’ really “…. my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils ”. And without realising, we sway with the daffodils.

Biographies and autobiographies teach us that struggle is the step to success, that life never yields without a tough test. It gives us strength at times of despair, hope when things are running downhill.

Armed with the knowledge of words, as we head to realise our dreams, we find the written words, now our ally, opening up new vistas. So much has been written about so varied subjects, we just need to ask. We read and read now to know more, to be guided into avenues that interest us. Be it in the fields of arts or science, numbers or economics — the sheer size of the written words enthral us. We realise the difference between “is there?” and “there is”.

We start developing our own ideas and we realise the sheer thrill of putting down such dreams into words, to add on to the already existing volumes. By this time, we realise that different views, opinions exist and our knowledgeable mind accepts, appreciates such differences. This again forms the first thread to coexistence with opposites. We might often be surprised as to how much sense an opposing view might make.

Reading broadens our minds. It helps raise questions. We question existing practises, sometimes we fall back on what is written, rather than accept the interpretations that have come down through ages. And thus, we progress. Never belittling what is not indigenous, appreciation of the less exotic, humility, the absence of flamboyance are what knowledge does to us.

As Austin Phelps said: “Wear the old coat, and buy the new book”.

Mamata Bandyopadhyay is homemaker based in Dubai.