Boo Who?

My nephew came over this evening in a sort of last minute change of plans. I always enjoy having him here and I think he enjoys coming. I know my husband enjoys having him because, as I type, they are 2 floors below me in the theater watching "Transformers" which I have out and out refused to watch. It is so loud my floor is literally vibrating. Boys.

We were all in the car getting gas and Steve was concerned with teaching Nathan a little parable about saving money for college and expensive things like gas. Meanwhile, I was concerned with more important matters - namely what he was reading in Freshman English. He said he was currently embroiled in "Animal Farm." We talked a little about it and then he said, "Well, we have another book we have to read....something like.....How To Kill a Mockingbird?"

Good thing I was in the backseat so he couldn't see my eyes bug out. I wasn't surprised at this "ignorance" - I mean he's only a Freshman, but I couldn't believe he wasn't overjoyed. Ok, I can't expect that either. I taught TKM (which is my favourite novel of all time) to my Sophomores every year, and even the ones who hated reading usually like it. I told him these encouraging words, to which he replied, "I just don't know how reading is going to affect my life. I mean, I know I know how to read, but I won't read once I don't I have to read." A fair statement. But I noticed my heart quicken. If Madeline ever said that to me I think I could cry a river. I never understood how people could not want to read. I was always so voracious for it. I tried to encourage him with out sounding too "teachery" or "out of touch" but I'm sure I was both.

Oh well.

"Neighbors bring food with death, and flowers with sickness, and other things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good lucky pennies, and our lives. But good neighbors give in return. We never put back into the tree what we had taken out of it. We had given him nothing, and it made me sad."