I will be sitting in my van or a waiting room and, glancing at my book, realize those few moments of waiting are now precious time to dive back into a world away from my own. How odd it seemed to me that this Kansan stay-at-home mom was so enthralled with the world of biogeography and the intricate arguments for various methods of the dispersal of species on the land masses of the world. This is not a topic necessary for my homeschooling preparations, for my daily tasks, or for my spiritual growth. What I think about the author's arguments will have no impact on my career (or his), yet it's certainly one of the books I've enjoyed most this year.
As I was reading through my friend's rich and thoughtful blog, Abandon Hopefully Homeschooling, on Charlotte Mason's Twenty Principles, I was reminded of how well Mason articulates the reason for this expansion of my spirit when I pick up my current book. On Principle 8: On Education as Life, my friend writes:
The mind wants to think, and it wants to think a LOT, but it has to have things to think about.
The same need for things to think about is present in every mind, including my own. While most of the books I read focus on education, or spiritual growth, or reading something ahead of the kids, there is great value in reading something fascinating and challenging just because it is fascinating and challenging.
