Precious

Among my list of New Year's resolutions is 'read more books than I watch TV.'  Prior to living in our current apartment, I hadn't had TV for over 3 years.  I loved it.  All the time in the world to read, craft, rest, listen to music, exercise, etc.  Now our cable is paid for and I've found myself being glued to too many unnecessary programs.  Law & Order: SVU, Ellen Degeneres, Oprah, Leno, Letterman, Biggest Loser, The Apprentice, America's Got Talent, e.t.c.e.t.c. The list goes on.....and on.....

So this year I'm going to remember what it's like to be without TV.  I'm going to get back to reading.  I love reading.  At home I used to go lay in the hammock in the field and read until I fell asleep.  When I woke back up I'd read again.  There's nothing like a good book.

Tyson and I went to Hastings on Saturday, January 1st and made our year's first selection.  The sale was 5 used books for $20 and Tyson was gracious enough to let me choose 3 of the 5.  (We share a dream of having our own library of books someday.)  One of the books I chose is "Precious," by Sapphire.  Sound familiar?  It was recently made into a movie.  Yeah, that rated "R" one.  I'm not sure how I thought I could read the book if I wouldn't choose to watch the movie?  As we drove away from Hastings I asked Tyson, "If the movie is rated "R" do you think the book is too?"  He laughed at me.  "Yeah!"  Oops.

Even so, the book summary on the back cover sucked me in.

"Precious Jones, an illiterate sixteen-year-old, has up until now been invisible to the father who rapes her and the mother who batters her and to the authorities who dismiss her as just one more of Harlem's casualties.  But when Precious, pregnant with a second child by her father, meets a determined and radical teacher, we follow her on a journey of education and enlightenment as she learns not only how to write about her life, but how to make it truly her own for the first time."

I've mentioned before that I studied Behavioral Science.  All my life I've loved psychology and the idea of counseling and helping people straighten their thoughts/lives out.  For a long time, I wanted to help people with eating disorders.  Then I graduated high school and went to Weber and volunteered for the Boys and Girl's Club in downtown Ogden. I became the "big sister" for a 5th grade girl named Natalie.  Ha ha, I still remember the first day I met her.  We volunteers entered the gym where a bunch of kids were playing dodge ball and we sat on the sideline to watch.  I noticed Natalie right away because she had the strongest arm and the biggest mouth.  Punk little girl.  I told my supervisor that I wanted to be her "big sister," and she looked at me like, "are you sure?"  Natalie had a rough life, growing up with gangs and such.  She wasn't gon' let no one tell her what to do, uh uh!  Just the girl for me =0)

I fell in love with that girl and all her little friends.  Once they learned to trust me, we had the time of our lives.  From that time forward, I decided I wanted to help children/teenagers like Natalie.  The ones with violence, abuse, and drug problems.  The tough ones.  The ones that need hope.

I couldn't stop reading Precious Jones' story.  I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone because her language is incredibly, incredibly vulgar and the incidents with her father are repulsive.  That being said, the only reason I felt good about reading it and the only reason I made it through the book was my desire to learn and understand more about the people that get stuck in such vicious cycles.  My heart hurts for them.  Hurts.  Precious has hope deep down inside that she will pull out of everything around her, but everything around her tears her down and tells her she is nobody.  Nobody is a nobody!!  They just need someone to help them realize it.  Someone to feed their hope. 

I finished the book tonight and I feel inspired.  It took getting past the darkness and hollowness at the beginning, but now it's finished I am inspired by Precious.  I'm inspired by her strength to stand up for herself.  Inspired by her desire to learn and get a job.  Inspired by her desire to give her child a safe and happy life.  Inspired by her hope for a brighter future.

Next to feeling inspired, I feel grateful.  I've been blessed with loving parents and family.  A loving husband and a beautiful, healthy baby boy.  I have a warm place to sleep and all things comfort.  I don't have to fear for my life or the lives of my family.  I take every single bit of that for granted.  

So now it's on to the next book.  I made my resolution thinking I would make a goal of reading 20 pages per day (equalling 7300 pages for the year.)  If I read every book like I read this one, it will be 60+ pages per day (equalling 21,900 pages for the year.)

I'll let you know if I find any more good ones =0)