1 May 2017

I had been offered an opportunity to talk about reading, and another opportunity to write it out.  The sharing was done with three other ladies whose age should not be mentioned, but let’s say we all grew up in the ding-dong era, rather than the doraemon era.  We all talked about the same thing: reading is important; reading is fun; to read something you like first before moving onto other materials; to cultivate a habit of reading as young as possible.

 

I recalled my primary and secondary school days, and refused to believe that I had been a reader; I didn’t like eating vegetables either.  It suddenly dawned on me that the reason why the speakers who knew the importance of reading all grew up in the ding-dong era was that we cultivated, or were forced to cultivate, a reading habit when we were younger, and we know the many benefits of reading now that we are long in the tooth.  Much like a balance diet: it is difficult to get young people to eat fruit and vegetables, but when they grow older, they know the joy of cleansing.

 

So now you have it, there are tasks the older generation wants you to complete which you cannot see the benefits right away. But if you persist, you know you will see results in the long run.  So is having a fit body and mind: you cannot become fit or smart overnight; there must be strenuous training before you are at a desirable stage.

 

Anson Yang