All I Want For Xmas

I just finished reading 3 books… ‘The Inner Matrix by Joey Klein, Before the Colors Fade by Harry Reasoner, and The Grandfathers Speak by Hìtakonanu’Laxk’. Quite gently… while written superbly, none of the books wholly gelled with my mood. But…but… this means I only have one book left to read to meet my reading goal this year.

In truth, because I’ve read so many good books this year, I don’t want to disturb this groove. My Top 10 list is all set and ready to be posted, drilling my Xmas wishes down to ZERO wants.

I don’t want a thing…however what I need…now that is another story altogether.

Flipping the script back to a yesteryear that parallels to where I’m going with this post, there was one Christmas where my siblings and I were told we could only ask for one gift. That year the country was in a recession, and poor Santa was snagged up in the budget cuts. His route was cut in half; axing our family right off his list. Everyone living below the halfway mark on this list was left wanting gifts the equivalent of a miracle.

I might’ve been about ten during the list crunch, so while my siblings asked my parents for things like a radio or a watch, I asked for a notebook. My parents asked if I was sure… if that was all I wanted. Save for asking them to throw in a ballpoint pen I was as sure then, as I am sure today of the irresistible need to see ‘genuine’ literacy increase from the White House on down to the child about to read his or her first book.

While I respect those readers who genuinely read, and even more genuinely hold high regard for the pristine literature showing up on best-seller lists, I am not sold on the numbers. Closing bookstores and declining book sales clearly indicates the obvious. A genuine reading mood must sweep up… encircle… engage…close the enormously wide gap that separates the few who do read for pleasure, from the overwhelming majority who read articles…news-clippings and headlines…or plucks a few chapters or paragraphs out of glossary-type books.

Word must get out. Get ‘the right book’ and genuine reading will start on page one and won’t let up, foiling any contemplation of surfing… or closing the book. Get ‘the right book’ and we will find ‘a peace of mind’ that will proffer the kind of personal enlightenment that allows us to better engage with our family, our friends, intimate relationships, our careers, church... and the likes.

Reading ‘the right book’ humbles us, promotes understanding, and reinforces societies to work collectively for a harmony yet realized.

One Santa can’t handle this. One Santa won’t handle this. In fact, Santa reading this is wearing the same expression on his face that my parents had on their face when I confirmed all I wanted for Xmas was a notebook.

Congratulations Steven Manchester, on your new book coming out February 2016, ‘The Changing Season.’ Your other book, ‘The Rockin’ Chair’ is but a mailstop away!

And Again, THANK YOU AUTHORS for enlightening me, inspiring me, healing me and keeping me praising and sharing your valuable books.

Happy reading to all.