The literary family

[Eireann]

I went into my favorite bookstore today. Everyone there knows me, and I have suggested several titles for them to carry (which they often order, based solely on my recommendation).

So, today a woman was in with her three kids, two girls and a boy. The two boys were sitting in the kids' section, reading - I had no idea such things existed - a sort of CSI book for kids. The older boy was reading quietly to the younger boy.

When they left, the mother bought approximately $200 worth of books for herself and her kids. The whole family was quiet, the kids were well-behaved, and DAMN do I LOVE seeing parents buy books for their kids!

Really a nice thing to see.

[HawaiianShirts]

I think that's becoming more and more of a rarity these days, but that is impressive. That woman's family should be an example to others. Notice the correlation between well-behaved kids and reading? And I'll bet the mother was, if nothing else, polite to the associates she interacted with. Good examples all around.

I think my family will be like that once my wife and I get out of college and start having children, taking the kids along to get new reading material. We'll be frequenting used book stores, though. Somehow, those give me a better impression of reading for personal intellectual gain than the chain bookstores do, perhaps because of the fun of just looking to see what unique old treasures can be found instead of popping in to get the latest fad book. In fact, my wife and I have been toying with the idea of opening our own used book store, more for the enjoyment of it than to make a profit (as long as we break even, we'll be happy).