A Lifelong Passion

By Margaret Lucke

With this week’s topic being passions, I'd like to tell you about my love affairs.

The objects of my affections excite me, stimulate me, and leave me craving more. I can never get enough of the pleasures they provide. They are always there for me, strong and supportive. Often they make me laugh; sometimes they make me cry. Now and then I get so furious that I want to throw one of them across the room, but usually I'm very happy in their company. We snuggle together in bed or curl up on the sofa and share cups of tea.

My true loves take me traveling around the world and introduce me to fascinating people. They open doors for me; they offers me flowers. They reveal how magic is made and where treasures are buried, and give me the key to discovering secrets. When I'm finished with one, I may toss it aside but immediately I begin feeling lost and incomplete. I can't wait to take up another and lose myself to its promised delights.

I'm speaking, of course, about books.

I fell in love with books before I can remember. I adored their rhythmic words and bright colors and chewable pages. The first book I recall specifically was Little Rabbit's Bath, by Miriam Clark Potter, in which a young bunny refuses to take his bath but is denied his dinner until he has a change of heart. I made my mom read it over and over until I had it memorized. Next I developed a crush on Dr. Seuss's And to Think that It Happened on Mulberry Street, in which a boy named Marco turns a plain horse and wagon into a marvelous parade with an elephant, giraffes, and a big brass band. From the first book I learned about the consequences of good and bad behavior, while the second showed me that I could create thrilling wonders with my own imagination.

After that I read stacks of Little Golden books, learned history via the Childhood of Famous Americans series, peeked behind the walls of The Secret Garden, learned about life and love from Gone with the Wind and Marjorie Morningstar. Along the way I met Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie and fell in love with mysteries.

I loved books so much that I decided I wanted to write my own. My earliest published story was a private eye story that appeared in a magazine produced by my sixth grade class, and most of the fiction I've written since then falls into, or at least very near, the mystery category.

Reading a book is a quick affair. It's immensely satisfying when a strong attraction is present, and easily broken off if it's not. Writing one is a long-term relationship with everything that such a bond entails--the moments of heady excitement, the fond embraces, the pouting and arguments, the begging for forgiveness, the sweet times when you kiss and make up, the nights when you just want to tell it that you have a headache and please leave you alone.

If I don’t have a couple of books in progress--one that I'm reading, one that I'm writing--I feel itchy and restless and unfulfilled. Yet as soon as a new one comes along, I feel complete again. There's nothing so satisfying as finding a new book to love.

Comments

[Camille Minichino]

I love the graphic, Peggy -- and the great ride through your affairs!

[Susan C Shea]

And here I thought we were in for some vicarious thrills. But, actually, we all get thrills from great storytelling, so good point, Peggy!

[Staci]

Great blog, Peggy! I must confess that I can't always break off a reading affair, even when it's going nowhere. I always think the book will get better if I just read far enough. Sometimes it does, but often it doesn't, and then I can't help but think of all the time I wasted when I could have been reading a good book instead.

[Margaret Lucke]

Thanks, Camille. I like the graphic too.

Susan, vicarious thrills are what books are for. And if you ask me, it's better to experience many of those thrills in books than in real life. Encounters with murderous criminals are just one example.

You're right, Staci. Sometimes we get tangled in an unsatisfactory romance and keep thinking that everything will be rosy if the object of our affection will just change to be something else that we'd prefer. That rarely happens with books or with people.

[Ann Parker]

Wonderful! I, too, have a long-term love affair with books. The good, the bad, and the ugly... hope springs anew with each opened cover! :-)

[Terry Shames]

Sorry, Peggy, just got around to catching up on reading my favorite blogs. Love this post. Captures how many of us view books--life-long love interests!