Tribute

[sorchawench]

We've had a bit of a vacation this last week or two with LJ Idol. Gary offered up some free topics last week, but I was too busy with family to write on them before the deadline was up. Today though he posted a new topic. Write an entry inspired by/as a tribute to the person or people who taught you the love of reading, and writing.

I initially didn't think I'd write an entry at all, figuring it would be a typical entry about how my parents influenced me with bedtime stories or about how the few teachers I loved instilled a great love of reading. But after a moment of thinking I thought about the 3rd group of people who were the greatest influence in my life, as far as being a reader went.

The bullies.

I doubt that those people knew what an impact they made in my life as a reader and future writer, but I have to admit to myself that they were an influence. From the early days of my youth through my teen years I kept my head buried in a book, as a defense mechanism against the hurled insults and barely veiled threats

Every day I would wait at the bus stop, book clutched firmly in my hands, stomach in knots. Waiting for that yellow harbinger of doom and despair. I would spend the 60 minute ride to school reading and daydreaming fantastical stories where I was the heroine and immune to such petty nastiness as mere bullies could dream up.

I was a bookworm. It was my defense in those days. I always had my head in the clouds because earth was so damned depressing.

Looking back now I have to thank those kids who bullied me. Without them I would never have met the friends I did between the pages of a book.

Comments

[fizz.livejournal.com]

This. Oh so much this. ♥