My Favorite Stories

(Please accept my apology that due to my horrid memory, this may be all over the place!)

I began reading at a very early age and the teachers said I read above the level of other kids the same age. Mom had to watch me closely because she knew I had the same voracious appetite that she did for devouring books, she did not want me to get ahold of stories that were “ahead of my time,” like those of James Michener and Harold Robbins.

I remember one book that shaped who I was to become and that was The Miracle Worker by William Gibson. (I had to look that up, I read this book when I was about 10 or so) This story of how Anne Sullivan helped teach Helen Keller how to read and the wild ride that it took me on must have influenced my decision to work in the healthcare industry.

Of course, my brother and I also read Dr. Seuss's books like Hop on Pop and Green Eggs and Ham, but my taste matured very quickly and I moved on to much more mature subject matter. The first long book I can remember was Heidi-by Johanna Spyri and after that one Freckles-by Gene Stratton, I must have been around 11 when I read those.

(It’s also worth a mention that at a very young age, my grandmother taught me the 23rd Psalm and made me memorize it, later giving me a pocket Bible I still have around here somewhere. So began my limited, yet still intact interest in religion.) When I became older, I explored some of those “just for teen” type bibles (I think the one I had was called “The Way”) because I have always been searching for more meaning and the Bible was too complicated and symbolic. These bibles spelled it out in a way that I could understand.

I also loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder series and it wasn’t enough that I read them all myself, when I was in the 5th grade, my favorite teacher ever, Mrs. Clark, read them to us! So I had the pleasure twice, then, of course, we all fell in love with Micheal Landon and the whole family was brought to life on our televisions.

When I was a teenager, I wanted to read what Mom was reading and somehow snatched a book off her shelf without her knowledge. That book was Coffee, Tea, or Me and do you know what she said when she found out? That she would have preferred I read that than Jaws. What?????

Little did she know my thirst for horror, strange tales, and the macabre would be fed by Stephen King soon after that. She just guarded her Harold Robbins books because she didn’t want to be a bad influence on me. However, I’m sure that what I read in the aforementioned title shaped who I became in the sex department. (then again, maybe not, I should read it again, haha!)

I did read Jaws (Peter Benchley) by the way, and many other horror stories like Carrie, The Shining, Cujo, The Stand, in fact, most of Stephen King’s most popular titles. I have quite the collection to this day. This led me to explore other authors with similar styles yet different subject matter. Authors like Robin Cook, Dean Koontz, and Harlan Coben. Stephen King took me away, gave me other worlds to explore and an escape from my restricted upbringing.

Robin Cook is probably the reason I can’t get enough of medical dramas and mysteries. Shows like the ones on ID and mainstream shows like Prodigal Son, Greys Anatomy, New Amsterdam, etc. In addition, I was in the Army as a combat medic turned lab technician, worked as a phlebotomist/medical assistant for twenty-two years. I give him all the credit for my medical career and my love of caregiving in general.

I don’t remember who to credit for my love of science fiction, but I watched Twilight Zone, The Inner Sanctum, Night Gallery and even (gasp) Star Trek when I was young. Alfred Hitchcock was a fav, but I did not read anything that I can remember except maybe Psycho…was that a book?? Why yes it was.

Turns out that books also caused me to be addicted to television, which explains a lot!

I could go on and on about books and my favorites, but the subject was really about how they shaped who we have become…I hope you know me a little bit better now after reading who I grew up reading.

This is in response to Kathy Jacobs and her wonderful challenge, I Challenge You!

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