Music: ASP – “Erinnerungen eines Fremden” ♥
“When a child doesn’t read, imagination disappears.”
I love PSAs (public service announcements), honestly I do. Wither its singing pills or creepy syringes I always find something to love about them. But of all the PSAs out there, this is the one that breaks my heart every time. I’m not certain how old this PSA is, but I know it has been about for some time, but the message is still very relevant.
Literacy Foundation: The Gift of Reading - Cinderella
Uploaded by hourigan. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.
For anyone else who holds fairytales close to their heart, I’m sure we all felt a tinge of pain watching that. It’s a tragic horror. The characters we always think of as untouchable living in their happily-ever-after are being hurt. But where do these character’s dwell but in the hearts of young children? And how do those stories find a lodging place there? By the children reading and being read the stories. Though many of our beloved classics are preserved in film form, they do not compare to the act of reading them. When watching a movie, you are limited to what you are seeing on a screen. When reading a book, the only limits are the ones you create. And being read to is very enjoyable! I have many fond memories of being read to by my mom.
I recall conversations I had with my mom in recent years. She was an elementary school teacher (now retired), and she’s told me how things have changed. When I went to school (yes, she taught me!), I would carry stuffed animals to school, my friends would bring their dolls. Now, children don’t do that. They are too concerned with cell phones, digital cameras and laptops. Seems children are becoming less and less like children.
This all being said, I’m not fan of children by any means, but it still hurts me to learn of things like this. If children are too caught up with digital devices and not playing, then what hope do fairytales have in their young hearts?
I feel like I have such a bleak outlook on it all. Is it really that bleak? I hope not. I really do hope we who love reading will pass it on, if not to our own children, than any children who may come into our lives.
Stay Spooky,
I work at my local library, and it really irritates me that most of the kids and teenagers who come in after school never look at books but just want to go online, hang out, or be rude & loud. I wish libraries were like they used to be, full of people eager to read, quite and peaceful...
ReplyDeleteWell if it makes you feel any better, I tell my 5 year old nephew fairytales each time I babysit him, before he goes to sleep and he is in AWE!
ReplyDeleteI tell him to turn off the lights and open the curtain and try to find the second star to the right and start to tell him about Neverland and Peter Pan and he gets all questiony and gasps at all the good parts, lol. And every time I get to the part about introducing Captain Hook (no matter how sleepy his is) he will hook his finger and "arrrghhh!"
Just thought I'd comment cause it is something so cute and related in a way to your post.