Walter Albritton March 17, 2013 Books have always been important to me. I blame my Mama for my love of books. When I was a little boy my mother read fairly tales to me. Before I could read or write I knew all about Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood. I had never heard of television and the radio seldom worked well because of the static. But Mama brought drama and excitement into my young mind by reading the stories of Hansel and Gretel and the Three Little Pigs. Later I continued that family tradition by reading those same tales to my own children. No child should have to grow up without getting acquainted with Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Billy Goat Gruff. Albert Einstein once said, “If you want your children to be bright, read them fairytales. If you want them to be brilliant, read them even more fairytales.” The professor was right. Listening to fairytales will give God’s gift of imagination a jumpstart. Mama did not stop with fairytales. Later she made sure my siblings and I became acquainted with Aesop’s Fables. I did not know who Aesop was but I knew about the Lion and the Mouse, the Fox and the Crow and the Boy who cried “Wolf.” During my teen years Tarzan became my constant companion. I read all the Tarzan books I could check out of the school library. Years later when I tried my hand at writing books I realized that my love of reading had helped prepare me for the task. After retirement I discovered the joy of reading history. Stephen Ambrose is one of my favorite history authors. No one should die without reading Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage and Band of Brothers. As a writer of sorts I concur with Ambrose’s observation that “There are many good rules of writing but the best way to find them is to be a good reader.” Speaking of books, let me share with you the titles of a few books that I have been reading lately: Risking Everything by Sarah Corson. If you want to read something that will touch your heart deeply, read this. It is Sarah’s account of her family’s journey into the tropical jungles of Bolivia. Living in Grace by Kennon L. Callahan. Callahan’s stories have the ring of truth and they illustrate well the joyful way God wants us to live. Reliable Truth by Richard E. Simmons III. This is an excellent book about the reliability of the holy scriptures. Someone once said, “Read something positive every night and listen to something helpful every morning.” I agree. Go read a good book and get blessed! + + +