Brad Roberts wrote an article titled, “People Who Grew Up Reading a Lot Usually Have These 16 Unique Traits.” Reading this list, I wanted to see how I fit his criteria. Here goes:
- Have a vibrant vocabulary. I’ve always loved words, but they come easiest to me in writing. A sparking conversationalist I am not. Dang.
2. Are excellent storytellers. Widen my eyes, toss in a wee bit of drama, and my story is off and running. My favorite story for middle graders is, “The Debate in Sign Language.” They like it, too.
3. Have a deep capacity for empathy. Life as a child with a hearing-impairment and three siblings in a struggling single parent family instilled lessons that coupled with a wide range of reading developed my empathy. This empathy also influenced my years as a Junior High teacher at a school for the deaf.
4. Are less likely to judge others based on appearances. Act like a decent human being is my criteria, not looks.
5. Are resourceful problem-solvers. I have my moments, but I’m not always on the mark. It’s an on-going process.
6. Have a rich inner world. You bet your boots. Honey was my imaginary friend until age seven when I discovered the world of books. These days, I daydream while walking on the treadmill. Whether I’m on the sea, in the mountains, or at the beach, Moi is definitely not staring at the shopping center outside my window.
7. Often know random trivia, even on obscure subjects. Um, not so much at my age. History, some literature, and early television trivia still pop up in my mind.
8. Crave quiet time to recharge. Just click off my hearing aids and presto! Instant silence. It’s an advantage to block out the dentist’s drill, too.
9. Have a thirst for knowledge. On certain topics like travel, book discussions, history, and writing, yes. Novel-wise, I’m on a World War II kick. I also did a lot of research for my Age of Sail stories for middle graders. Talk about page turners!
10. Are patient and process-oriented. A list-maker, I’m often accused of being anal (gasp). Geez, Louise, I want to get it right.
11. Make time for reading, no matter how busy life gets. For years, I did more research than pleasure reading although I did enjoy Shogun, and James Michener’s two novels, Chesapeake, and Centennial.
12. Have a healthy skepticism. Seriously? Oh, really? Yeah, right. And my favorite, “How do you know?”
13. Are lifelong learners. Adult education classes in writing, Hebrew religion, tap dance, Zumba, storytelling skills, computers, travel lectures, and author events to name a few. Volunteering at Living History Farms in Des Moines and community theater was a blast!
14. Understand the power of a well-placed quote. On my website is a simple yet profound quote that suits my Age of Sail stories, “A sailor is not defined by how many seas he has sailed but how many storms overcome.”
15. Can see shades of gray in a black and white world. I try to forego rigid thinking. Instead, I aim to understand other lifestyles, cultures, beliefs, and the struggles of a person, people, race, or disability, and why they make their choices, whether wise or unwise.
16. Find beauty in the everyday. Identifying sounds is a constant source of awe. Many times, I must see something in action to connect it with the sound it made. I saw water dripping from a faucet. Drip, drip. Oh. Or the time a fly buzzed near my ear, and I swatted it away. Wait, that was a fly not a bee. How often did I read that a fly buzzed? A little thing to you, but an eye-opener for me.
How many of these traits do you fit?
Until next time, may your seas be fair.
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