I am an editor. Twenty years ago, I was a wildlife biologist. In my spare time, I sell art in a gallery. Before that, I had a side gig playing steel drums in a Caribbean restaurant. I sometimes wonder how I never just settled on one thing. Somehow, I couldn’t leave behind any of my disparate interests. I have dragged them all with me.
I think it must have to do with the worlds that were given to me as a child through books. These worlds of interest were added to my native love of the outdoors and all things wild. Above all, a love of literature was gifted to me. I thank my dad for not only showing me pond water through a microscope but for reading to my siblings and me without fail every night—authors such as E. B. White, Roald Dahl, Mark Twain, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Hans Christian Andersen, and Jack London. And I thank my mom for passing down her good eye for grammar.
Today, most of my time is spent reading and improving on what others have written on topics ranging from space radiation to feline orthodontia to child development. I find a broad knowledge of basic things extremely useful in editing. I’m able to understand the premise of an article or chapter even when I’m clueless about the details. I love continuing to learn and check on facts about subjects all over the map.
As my three kids grew up, I read a range of books to them. There was the couch reading of picture books, the after-dinner reading of scriptures that brought the family all together, and bedtime reading. The latter was my favorite, as I could read for longer and mostly chose the books myself. I read all of the Chronicles of Narnia, adding my commentary about Christ along the way. I read Dahl and Tolkien, I covered the Little House books, and I cried as I read aloud the end of Charlotte’s Web (eliciting some groans from the bunkbed).
My kids have not yet turned out to be huge readers, but they all read and write well. Just as important, they have various interests. Their knowledge expanded with each book we read, as much as if they had read all these books themselves. I recently copyedited a report by a client who does evaluations of children with learning disabilities. She gave this recommendation to the parents and teachers of one boy: “When you ask him about what he’s reading lately, he should talk about his audiobook, as that is simply reading with his ears instead of his eyes; in both cases, the information gets in.”
The information gets in. And with it comes a world of possibilities for our children’s futures.
Thanks, Skye
Skye is another of my amazing sisters! Her prowess in finding writing errors are akin to a hounddog tracking game. She is remarkable. As disappointed as I am when she finds something in my poetry or essays, I never quite feel my writing is complete without having her take a go at it. Her website is edit-guru.com. Go check it out! Editing may sound boring to some, but I can assure you that Skye is the most adventurous of all my siblings. She enjoys hiking, traveling, painting watercolors, and playing the piano, steel drums, and clarinet.
tawnyember
Dad and I read your blog and Skye’s comments: so revealing and entertaining! I agree, Skye was adventuresome and was the most inquisitive of all the siblings! Whenever we would slaughter a cow, calf or pig, Skye as a little tyke would observe and identify each of the body parts and organs that she saw. She took in every stray that happened near our farm in CA, only to see it disappear by coyotes later. She once lived for months on one of the Catalina Islands, observing the gray wolf population. She fought wildfires with the guys in central WA, while in the forest service. She hiked into Stehekin, when one normally flies or boats into the town at the end of Lake Chelan. She lived in a kibbutz in Israel, and rode her bike around the Sea of Galilee. She travelled with the steel drum band of BYU. She and her sisters flew to Athens for a fun week. Skye will pursue whatever enters her mind; a regular Tom, Dick and Harry! Actually, we could say the same of all of you. Each one of you has been successful in whatever you chose to do. Your grade points in high school and college were outstanding, and it’s all because of a little habit developed as children: reading. It never grows old; it allows each of us to explore our own interests and gain new ones. Thanks for doing this blog, Tawny!
I love all of these parent perspectives, but it’s so special to hear about the effects reading has had on family members! Skye truly has explored the world in wild and unique ways. Her curiosity, bravery, and can-do attitude have always inspired me. Thank you for exposing her to books and learning; we have all benefitted from her varied pursuits!