SKILLS: February 2020 If there is one ability to develop and cherish it is reading. Reading can offer pleasure during rewarding alone times. And, once mastered, it opens the doorway to knowledge in many fields. Knowledge is good. To obtain wisdom from reading it is important to comprehend what is on the page. Fast may give rise to bragging rights but understanding what was read is more vital. When I was in high school “speed reading” was all the rage. President John F. Kennedy, a hero for me at the time, was purported to be a speed reader. I believe there was a course (Woods?) that was the talk of our English classes. I think it had something to do with seeing the first and last words of a sentence and filling in the blanks somehow by eye scans. It seemed to me that all of the ballyhoo over speedy concepts gave nothing more than lip service to retaining what was read. Understanding what is read is crucial. I can only speak from my plodder experience, but retention is the goal for whatever reading speed you develop. It is not always a race to see how fast a book is read or how many books are read. It is no shame to re-read passages so that knowledge sinks in. Don’t worry, too much knowledge will not explode your brain. Education is not confined to academic works alone. Reading short stories or novels for pleasure also provide valuable insights into life. It is especially interesting to learn the perspectives of others. When I was younger there were many magazines that contained novelettes or essays. Many magazines now seem headed to extinction. Yet, in your digital world there remains an abundance of folks putting words together. In my youth there was even a “girlie” magazine that contained three to five serious articles, including fiction, in each issue. Plus, great cartoons! When you do read, I’d suggest selecting from as wide a range as possible. Broad horizons of subject matter has never killed a cat. In that regard there are people who will advise that certain writings are dangerous. Be cautious with such warnings. While some writings may indeed be dangerously irrational, harm usually results from confining one’s reading only to the same ditch of narrow thought. Political, cultural and social commentaries do exist that are channeled towards specific biases. Most often they rely on fear. Be cautious when reading certain writings but do not be afraid to read “different”. Just be aware of traps of intolerance and constrictive thought. One never wants to be a stooge. Leave that to the many who are willing to accept that moniker. It is hard to think of any book that will warp a mind if it is subjected to rigorous thought by the reader. It is up to you to sort out the good from the bad. And, the excellent from mediocrity. I find it useful to pause before jumping on any bandwagons. Sometimes one’s peers quickly go off in one direction; embracing what is popular that day. Some spurts are silly such as clothing styles of the 70’s. Haircuts are always prevalent as a means of seeking uniqueness while crunching together in mass uniformity. Etching ink into one’s body is a ritual beyond my capabilities to understand. Yet, there are more serious bandwagons to avoid; those of the mind. Recently, many people appear squeezed into narrow tunnels of beliefs. Such as those based on exclusion of others by generating fear. When you hear words similar to “all of them are…” or “only we understand…..” or “…..is/are so stupid….” or “things would be better off without…..” allow red flags of caution to rise up in your mind. And, exercise special vigilance with those who shout “the sky is falling” the loudest. I’d advise tilting to the positive side. It is hard for me to remember the title of books from my youth. I remember getting books from my grade school library or our city’s public library in the 1950’s. I often focused on biographies of sports figures or historical characters. Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Chip Hilton series, Huck Finn, Last Of The Mohicans, Treasure Island, Count Of Monte Cristo, Robinson Crusoe, Paul Revere, George Washington, Kit Carson, and August Derleth books about Wisconsin come to mind. (My mother mentioned being in college classes with Derleth at UW.) Later in life books that I’d recommend include: The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich, Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, The Conspiracy, A Soldier’s Story, 1984, To Kill A Mockingbird, War And Peace, (Stamina needed) -Moby Dick, Crime And Punishment, Gone With The Wind, (More Stamina please)-The Sun Also Rises, Plato’s Republic, and Grapes Of Wrath are examples. Each of such books/authors opens the gate to more and more books. Never ending. I also read tons of history related materials. Understanding history helps with many issues.