A recent conversation captivated my attention enough to write this week's column.
I was asked if I spoke French, Spanish or German. I enthusiastically responded, yes and no.
I was proud that I remembered one or two words in French, a little more in Spanish, but unfortunately, I didn't know any German.
Being an avid reader and lifelong learner, the question soon became a personal challenge.
If you are thinking I've enrolled in all of the above foreign language courses, think again. Truth is, the chance of me needing to speak French or German on a daily basis is highly unlikely.
On the other hand, my Spanish isn't anything to brag about either.
My point is this. If you are like me and we traveled to any of the places where the primary language was something other than English we would be lost. We could not communicate. We would not understand.
But all is not lost. We live here yet many people avoid picking up a single book or reading any form of stimulating literature. Men, women, boys and girls have all become consumed with computer screens, high-definition televisions, video games, iPods, cell phones, etc. While many of these gadgets do offer us the ability to read, their ultimate contribution in our lives is entertainment and absorption of time.
Do you remember the Book Mobile? Whatever happened to it? When was the last time you visited the local library? Can you imagine our town without one? Books contain history. History is priceless.
I challenge you this week to visit the library. Check out a couple of books. Read and return them.
Hindsight is 20/20. Sometimes we don't know how important things are until they are gone. And it's usually the small seemingly insignificant things that mean so much.
See you at the library.