Queereaders discussion

I have included a link to a piece I had published about my experiences with books called "Reading: A love Story." I thought some of you might find it interesting and also thought it might be interesing if some of you would include your reading experiences in this blog.

http://www.thriveinlife.ca/thrive/ind...

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Joe. I loved reading about your family and early reading experiences.

I was also born in the Bronx to a family of non-readers and/or high school dropouts. Even though dad didn't complete his education, he always had a hunger for knowledge and encouraged my love of reading from a very early age.

I just wish I had the self-discipline to finish my degree much sooner. As people always say, better late than never. At 49, I will be the first in my family to have a college degree.

Thanks for your kind words, Nancy. Where in the Bronx were your born? You are younger than I am and probably grew up in a different Bronx than I did. Yes, it really never is too late to get a formal education, and it is better late than never. (All those cliché are apt.) Good for you! Also, is there anything else that is more interesting or important that you could be doing? Where are you getting your degree? By the way, as a college instructor I have found that older women (maybe the wrong term) who return to college do extremely well. They tend to be insecure at first but once they get into it they really thrive. Also, you seem self-disciplined to me. I am impressed by the number of books you read and your reviews of them

My Dad's mom and her sister lived in the North Bronx together after their husbands died. I remember being driven through some fascinating (for a teen), but scary areas to get to their house.

FWIW, I was born in Brooklyn somewhere near Erasmus Hall ("the Mother of high schools" according to my mom) where she went to high school in Vlacke bos aka Flatbush. I have only very vague memories of my grandparent's house which they somehow managed to keep during the depression. Memories mostly about getting in trouble for picking my grandpa's vegetables from his garden.

I lived near 175th St. and later moved to Co-op City. My grandparents lived in the Hunts Point section which was pretty bad, even then. The closest my mom came to gardening was stringing ivy along the fire escape.

As of last Friday, my final class is done! I will have a Bachelor's Degree in General Studies from Franklin Pierce University. It won't make me rich, but at least I could say I've done it.

One of my professors also said that many of his best students were older women. Maybe being older gives women more confidence. Many have more financial security and less family obligations.

My first class was terrifying. Sitting in a classroom with mostly 20-somethings made me feel very old. Then I encountered a student in my Women's Studies class, a woman in her 70's, long retired from a management position, looking to complete her degree. She was a brilliant woman, full of energy and more lively than many of the younger students.

Where in the North Bronx did you grandmother and her sister live? My grandfather had a vegetable garden, and I have vivid memories of his fig tree. I can still taste the figs.

Congratulations, Nancy. That is a real accomplishment and something to be proud of. I am happy for you. I got my degrees when I was in my thirties and know what it is like being an older student among 20 somethings. You should think about writing a piece about your first classes and how you felt. I am certain you can find a publication for it.

Do you live in New England? I went to college in Boston. Franklin Piece University is in New Hampshire, right? We have a Franklin Piece Community College here in LA.

I grew up not too far from Hunts Point, and it wasn’t all that bad back then. My grandfather had a wonderful vegetable garden that I have vivid memories of.

Again, congratulations. Good job. Are you planning to get an advanced degree? You should.

Joseph wrote: "Where in the North Bronx did you grandmother and her sister live? My grandfather had a vegetable garden, and I have vivid memories of his fig tree. I can still taste the figs."

All I remember was that it was on Poplar street.