In Colby
Sharp’s now nearly infamous video where he discusses books with his class he
makes the following comment:
…Because reading is awesome! It
can take us to other places. Every book I read will make me a better person,
and if it doesn’t, it’s not a good book.
I love
that. I don’t intentionally open books wondering what they will teach me, but I
know I am changed once I’ve read an excellent book. My students are already
learning this through the book Wonder – how we treat each other matters.
But all books have messages intertwined in their stories.
Today I’m rereading a favorite – Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson for the Schu-Sharp book club this Wednesday on Twitter (7pm Central. Use #HattieBigSky to follow the chat.) When I was reading this afternoon I came across this quote:
I thought about all the fences
that get built in this world – the ones that divide folks and tear them up,
like the actions of the Kaiser and his henchmen, and the ones that bring folks
closer together, like this stretch of fence Karl Muller had built for me.
“Plug.” I patted the old horse.
“It’s like I wrote to Charlie. This world is surely a puzzle. I wonder how old
I’ll be before I get it all figured out.”
Page 80
I’m
thirty-eight and I still don’t have this world figured out. Reading Hattie
Big Sky I learned how horrible we treated people of German nationality in
our country during World War I. I know when I was a history major I always said
that the reason we study history is to learn from our mistakes. But I know from
my husband’s step-mother that during World War II we hadn’t learned, and all of
the Japanese people in the internment camps would back me on that one. (She and
her family were moved to one.)
I am sure
it is fear that drives us to these actions, but that cannot excuse them. I’ve
always been taught that we all have more similarities than differences. I truly
think if we looked at each other looking for what we have in common, the world
would be a different place. But looking at my Facebook feed in the weeks leading
up to the election saddens me. So much negativity, name calling, and ugliness.
It’s hard to separate that from people whom I normally have a great deal of
respect for.
This is
not what I treat my students. I teach respect for each other, even when we
disagree along with the idea that we come together to solve our problems. As
adults it seems that our country, our world, are more interested in pointing
fingers. Why? I know when President Obama was elected in 2008 I had a student
in tears the next day. His parents hadn’t voted for him and now what would he
do? My answer was that I didn’t always vote for the politician who ultimately “won”
the seat. Regardless, they were now my president (or my senator, governor,
etc.) and I would hope they would do an amazing job because we all benefit from
that.
And so in
uncertain times, times that lead me to despair, I turn to books. They do calm
me, give me a sense of peace, but also make me a better person. And when I come
upon those magical books that change me from the inside out, I start talking
about them - to my students, to my friends, to anyone who will stop and listen.
If enough of us read them maybe we will all begin to be the change we wish to
see in this world. Now, back to Hattie and her fence…
