Like someone running
Off she goes! What (and who) will she find in the forest of stories, and on the other side?
New Forest National Park, U.K., photo by Annie Spratt via Unsplash
“I disappeared into books when I was very young, disappeared into them like someone running into the woods. What surprised and still surprises me is that there was another side to the forest of stories and the solitude, that I came out that other side and met people there.” — Rebecca Solnit
Unlike Solnit, I would say that my childhood was a happy one, but like her, I too disappeared into books from the time I learned to read– or even before then, when others read to me. When I ran into the woods, it was out of curiosity and an eagerness to explore, not to escape anything. As I grew older (and some of my classmates grew crueler, inclined to bully those who were different) reading did become an escape from a world where I often felt unwanted or misunderstood. But the enchantment with discovery was still the primary appeal of books.
From that time to this, I’ve depended on books, reading, and writing. In the sorrow and unending solitude since Jeff died, I have relied more than ever on written communication (increasingly translated to audio books or digital formats such as this). And yes, the other side of that solitary immersion into text is the connection to others who, for whatever reason, also wander through the “forest of stories.”
I know I’m not alone in this. Just look at the countless book groups that have sprung up like mushrooms, seemingly everywhere. Most of these gatherings are face-to-face meetings in neighborhood and community settings, where people go to meet others who share their favorite pastime. For the record, I’ve never been to one of these meetings, though I keep intending to go. My neighborhood, my churches and my local libraries all host such groups. Sooner or later (hopefully sooner) the day and time will be right for me to attend one of them.
And of course, there’s this blog, which introduced me to more people than I’d ever dreamed of meeting, and also enabled me to re-connect with people I’ve known for years. There are countless other blogs, too, each with its own unique community of people connecting through the “forest of stories” found in the posts and comments.
How about you? Do you ever run away into the forest of stories? Who have you met in real life, as a result of your literary discoveries? Do you belong to a book club, blog community or other group drawn together from shared adventures in reading? If so, we’d love to hear about it.
For years I had a magnet on my refrigerator that said “Libraries change lives.” One of the most important ways they do this is connecting us to others. Reading tells us we are not alone, and once we find that reassurance, we can indeed come out of the forest and find people just waiting to be friends.
This post was first published seven years ago today. The blog is not designed for viewing on cell phones, but you can get a less distorted version of the photos if you click on the “view on blog” link at the top right of the screen. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, at the individual post views. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: blogs, books, community, connection, discovery, escape, exploration, libraries, reading, reassurance, retreat, solace, Solitude
Defeat Despair 
Good afternoon Julia. Always a delight to read your blog, even though our correspondence isn’t daily or even often like it was originally. But just the same, the connection of being friends is still there. We met here so many years and happenings ago. I enjoy your blog and your posts always. That Verandah that we meet on so often, virtually, is always there. It’s a beautiful June porch isn’t it? Hi to Matt.
Hello Sheila, how would we survive this HEAT without our iced tea? Our June Verandah was indeed gorgeous, and located in (normally) cool Maine, but I hear even they are having a hot spell right now. Checking our lovely July Verandah, it’s in Tunisia where the temperature is a much cooler 84 today. But the great thing about Club Verandah is that weather is never a problem. Lucky for us, our ever-changing Virtual Verandah is viewable from the air-conditioned indoors through LARGE glass windows that never need cleaning! I’ll try to do better about staying in touch. I really appreciate your faithful presence here at the blog. I’m sipping iced tea and thinking of you this very minute! ❤
Good morning, Julia!
My childhood experience with reading sounds similar to yours. I loved to read, and of course the more you read, the more you learn and the better reader you become.
I have a friend from my youth who also loved and still loves to read. I realized what a treasure it is to have a friend with whom you can make an obscure reference to something you’ve both read that is applicable to a current activity or experience, and you both laugh.
Unlike that friend, I never became a very fast reader. I wondered why and then I realized that I read stories as though I were watching a play or a movie, so the characters all speak in real-time speeds, not quickly. I don’t know if that makes sense, but it’s enjoyable to me that way.
As for technical publications, I can only read as fast as I can think, so reading speed is there based on my familiarity with the subject.
Well! It’s a good thing you like to read, since my tendency lately seems to be to post long comments on your blog! 😄
Love and Blessings to you, Dear Julia!
Susan, when I read your comment I realized another thing we have in common. Your reading style sounds EXACTLY like mine. Even in childhood, I realized that (for reasons I didn’t understand) I could somehow remember everything I read and others didn’t seem to be able to do that. It came in very handy on tests, which were always based on assigned reading. Many years later, in graduate school, I learned that subvocalizing (the technical name for “saying” the words silently in your mind) actually does increase comprehension and retention significantly. There’s really no such thing as speed reading for most people, unless one accepts that the trade off is loss of comprehension and memory of what one has read. So, I remain a happily SLOW reader! And even with audiobooks, if I miss a word or two (such as when a rudely loud vehicle goes by while I’m walking – loud vehicles are a pet peeve of mine) I will re-wind and listen again so I don’t miss anything. So you see, we who love to read almost always love to write, too – my comments are even longer than yours! ❤