From my archives —

Been pondering how much I love to read. I’m thinking it was the summer of my fifth grade year when I read through the children’s shelves of biographies in Roanoke’s city library. They weren’t large books and I remember the bindings in earth colors of orange and yellow and brown. Those books were on the last shelves of the children’s section so when summer was over there was no where to go but the adult section. So I wander over to the adult section to make my choices.

I’ll never forget this! I walked up to the check out counter at the library and put my books on the check out desk — Gone with the Wind and The Three Musketeers. If you grew up in Roanoke, I know you remember Miss Vivian. White crew socks folded down, khaki skirts, tightly tucked plaid shirts, wheat colored cardigan, humble, quiet as a library lady should be, but serious about her checking out duties. Had straight bangs, an austere hair cut, gold reading glasses, but she loved me and was always kind and I loved her, too. I picture lace-up Keds on her feet, but maybe not.

Got distracted picturing Miss Vivian…any way she says, “Lane, did you go to the adult section?” “Yes mam,” I say in my polite southern childhood voice. “We’ll,” she says. “You are not allowed to check books out in the adult section.” “But I’ve read all the children’s books,” I protest. “We’ll, I’ll have to call your mother and ask her permission for you to check out in the adult section,” she says, sounding disappointed in my behavior.

She calls my mama while I stand firm in my book choices. She’s looking at me while she talks to mama. Hangs up and says, “Your mama said you have permission to use the adult book section and can check out anything you want.” She was treating me like a naughty child but I was standing stoic. I had known what mama would say. She was a voracious reader, too.

I take my first adult novels happily out of the library and pedal home on my unicycle. Straight to the dogwood tree I went. Climbed up and started reading Gone with the Wind. Read all morning. Moved to the porch swing after lunch and finished the book with a flashlight in a sheet tent on my bed late that night. Have read that book eight times…reading it so young, then reading it many times as an adult, I always learn something I didn’t remember from previous readings.

Alice Randall wrote The Wind Done Gone that chronicles the life of a slave during the same time period as Gone with the Wind. The main character is the illegitimate half-sister of Scarlett O’Hara who Randall refers to as Other in the novel. It’s really interesting to study the characters from different perspectives. I’ve never had the calling to teach but I’d love to lead a discussion on these two novels. Boss lady and I would talk about the novels, occasionally. We’d laugh at Randall’s character names. She named Ashley Wilkes, Dreamy Gentleman.

My grandchildren were here this weekend. Handley and I love to laugh and read together. We’re reading Skippyjon Jones books right now. Skippyjon is a large pointy eared Siamese kitten. When he’s sent to his room for drawing chihuahuas on the walls, he puts a little cape on and becomes El Skippito Friskito. He speaks with a Spanish accent and has an adventure as a chihuahua in Old Mexico.

Ever get so tickled you loose your breath? Well, Handley and I laughed our selves senseless reading this cute book. I actually lost my breath.

Haven’t read a book since Chief died. Just can’t concentrate enough to follow the plot. It was years after Rosie’s death till I started reading again. Reading was one of my favorite pastimes. Maybe it’s time to start back reading. I think I have Chief’s copy of Gone with the Wind in the lady den. Why not?

“Books are the mirrors of the soul.” ― Virginia Woolf