Reading

My reading life began very early on. My father read to my siblings and me on a very regular basis. I remember learning to read in the first grade. By that time I had the basic words mastered; cat, rat, hat, sat, pat, Sally, Dick, Jane, Spot, and fluffy, it was time to move ahead. This was a good reading experience for me because the stories were short and they rhymed. So far, so good. As I progressed in to Dr. Seuss, I was still doing quite well. Still, no problem. I then found the Baby Bear books; "Emily in the Woods," and "Baby Bear." I especially liked these books because of the cellophane book covers; I felt like I was getting into some grown up stuff. As I entered in to the third grade the reading material became more sophisticated. Suddenly, the chapters were longer, more words, bigger words; I was having some major problems with comprehension. In fact, the teacher's words still echo in my mind, "Janet is a good reader, but she's having problems with comprehension." I wasn't even sure what "comprehension" was, but I knew it was my problem. And I wondered, does that have anything to do with the fact that I can read several pages but not remember what I read? From that point, reading was a struggle. I enjoyed reading, but I preferred to read short stories.
As it turns out - many years later and a test in my adult life, I discovered I have dyslexia, which also explains my struggle with math; but that's another story.
Dyslexia, combined with an attention span equal to a fly, has presented a struggle for me. However, it hasn't kept me from reading. In fact, I read several books concurrently without any trouble, as long as I am able to read at my own pace; no problem what-so-ever!
My oldest sister is a book worm. She can read the same book several times and never loose interest. She reads fiction and non-fiction with equal enthusiasm. She is so book smart it's not funny; I'm envious of her ability to read and retain.
One of my granddaughters has a photographic memory. We often cook and bake together. I have her read the recipe and then we set about the kitchen preparing to create some sort of baked good or other such delight. I never need to check the instructions because she has them locked in. She's twelve. Talk about intimidating. If you want to know anything about anything, she's your go-to person!
My husband is an avid reader as well. His interests are politics and art. He will sit down with a magazine and quietly read, but within a short time - he's "sawing logs." He works too hard.
In retrospect, I know why as a child I enjoyed listening to the radio programs, and still do to this day. Sunday evening is dedicated to A Prarie Home Companion. I heard recently that Garrison Keelor had a stroke, but that he was sitting in his hospital bed with his laptop. I sure do appreciate his tenacity.