My hubby asked me a question today, if Calgary matched with what ever I had imagined. I answer, ‘Yes. And much more’.You see, I grew up reading up reading books like Secret Seven, Famous Five, Nancy Drew, Malory Towers and comics like Archie and Tintin. While kids my age played, I sat reading. Mainly because my darling brother hated playing and he would always read. I picked up the habit from him.
I started reading when I was around 10 (I think).What these book did to me was open up a whole wide world of imagination.A world where I could imagine every thing I was reading.When Jo,Bessie and Fanny climbed up the Faraway tree, I climbed with them. I visited every new land that visited the Faraway tree.When George,Annie, Dick and Julian hugged Timmy, I hugged him too. Whenever someone knocked on door when the Secret Seven meetings were held, I whispered the password with them.I laughed with Claudine at the pranks she played in St.Claire.
What these books also did, was describe the landscape. When a book said, ‘Snow covered mountains’, I saw it. When a book said, ‘As far as he could see, there was nothing’ , I felt the desperation. When a book said, ‘He would not entrust his beloved to any arms but his own’ , I smiled at the love. When a book said, ‘She knelt down to pray’, I prayed along.
This is one of the reason why I find reading so much fun. I get into the book and imagine along with the character.When in High School, I started watching English television. I saw what Diners were. I saw malls.I saw parties. I saw roads, the highways. I saw huge buildings. I saw Mc.Donald’s. I had an idea how life in the ‘foreign’ was. Somehow for me(when I was small), the term foreign always meant America / Canada / Australia etc. Basically where all the white complexioned people lived. 🙂
So now that I am here in the ‘foreign’ land, is this how I had imagined everything would be? Yes, It is. Though the landscape and the lifestyle did not come as a surprise to me, I do feel my heart leap every time I go out. I do feel like doing the dance when I see snow. I do feel like jumping up and down when I see the houses. I do feel like running along the road. I do feel like rolling on the floors.
So, I guess the child inside of me still exists. My imagination is still alive.Only now, I can see with my own eyes.And for this, I will,for all eternally be grateful to the Lord who made it all happen.
Escape Route 