Wor(l)ds of Adventure

There is nothing like picking up a good book and becoming so engrossed in its tale that the rest of the world simply disappears.

The world of books

My early recollections revolve around “The Bobbsey Twins” and their many adventures. Those written words took me places that I had never been before. Soon after The Hardy Boys captured my imaginations, with mysteries to solve at every corner. Around this time Nancy Drew also grabbed me, the stories were so exciting to this Midwest girl.

Seeing through new eyes

As a young schoolgirl, my need for glasses became apparent earlier on. I also sat at the front of the class, no matter what. Seeing was the challenge, but with the assist of my first set of glasses, a whole world became open to me. A world was for me to discover, cherish, and devour, through the written word. My love for reading slowly grew and became a very important part of who I am today.

Always reading

I have had many interests over these last 61 years. Those early mysteries carried over into my adulthood and I still gravitate towards stories promising secrets, lies, and a trail of clues leading to a shocking reveal, even today. I discovered Gothic novels in my high school years, those hopelessly intriguing loves stories filled my head and my heart. Those pages of romance and tragedy, I realize now, fed me so many sappy storylines that I could not get enough of.

In my adult years, my Interests evolved into historical and informative reading as well as the unending supply of “How-To and “DIY” books filled my bookshelves. Whether it was gardening or making homemade baby food, I was reading all about it. Books on the best ways to raise your children or train your dog. It did not matter, I devoured with a healthy literary appetite.

Changing eye wear

Through it all, corrective lenses came to the rescue. Beginning with the cat eyeglasses, then a series of continuously thicker and thicker lens gave me the ability to see and to read to my heart's content. Contact lenses in later years bought me years of glasses-free days, truly a freeing time for the reader with young kids, with grabbing hands. Cataract surgery in my 40’s brought even more freedom. Occasional readers for close-up work was all that was needed for the first time in 33 plus years. It felt almost like a honeymoon, from the world of corrective eye care.

And then...

It was my late 50’s when my myopic degeneration came to be. With it, a startling and discontented feeling, my “normal vision” was altered. No matter what lens I had, the smeary fog of this diagnosis was robbing me of my previously smudge-free view. With it came a distinct change in my ability to read comfortably. The words on a page became less distinct, less vivid. For many years, I have constantly been shifting to better the rooms light as it shines on the book.

On a cloudy day, those words seem to fade into the page, not wanting to be seen at all.

In this day and age, I am most fortunate that there are other options for people like me. With just a few taps of my finger, I can download the daily newspaper onto my iPad and read about the happenings of the world, to my heart’s content.

The wonder of technology

With the local library, I have even more options. With the “magic” of e-books available, I find myself not missing anything at all. There are still murder mysteries and how-to books waiting at my fingertips, and DIY manuals to read until I’m blue in the face.

Thanks to the wonder of modern technology, here’s to having many more sunny afternoons, finding the perfect corner, and taking the time to slip into another world filled with adventure.