National Book Lover’s Day!

Written by: Phoebe Warren

“Why would you save me?” Despereaux asked. “Have you saved any of the other mice?”

“Never,” said Gregory, “not one.”

“Why would you save me, then?”

“Because you, mouse, can tell Gregory a story. Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell Gregory a story. Make some light.”

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This is an excerpt from the wonderful children’s book titled, “The Tale of Despereaux,” by Kate DiCamillo. This book is my very favorite because it resonated with me so deeply from a young age and did a great deal to foster my love of reading. Why have I brought this to your attention? Today is National Book Lover’s Day!

Language evolved from the need for humans to communicate with each other effectively. Indeed, many say that the capacity for language is the cornerstone of any successful civilization, past or present. You may remember from your history class that the oldest written language in is Sumerian. A quick check on Britannica.com confirms this, and further clarifies this language existing in the region of Southern Mesopotamia as early as 3100 BCE.

Did this ancient civilization of Mesopotamia also create the first written story, then? You might be surprised to know that yes, they did. Britannica.com lists the oldest surviving written literature as “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” an ancient Sumerian poem that is said to inspired other ancient literary works such as The Iliad, The Odyssey, and the Hebrew Bible.

I think it’s incredible that as soon as we learned to write, we learned to make stories and record them for others to read. It’s safe to say that stories are a part of the human experience, and we feel compelled to record and share those stories with others. There’s something magical about being transported to another time, place, or world through a series of pages. I think all book lovers agree this to be a true form of magic.

I still remember holding a flashlight under the covers when I was supposed to be asleep, rereading my beloved book, “The Tale of Despereaux.” That feeling still takes hold of me when I turn the last page of a good book amd close the cover. (Or, you know, close the Kindle app for my modernists.) This post is for you, my dear book worms! Go find a comfy spot, put on your comfy clothes, and curl up with a good book.

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.”

― George R.R. Martin

While it’s easy to debate about what happiness is and what we can do to “create” it, it’s perhaps easier to recognize what stands in its way. Identifying obstacles of happiness is a simple way to tackle what is contributing to unhappiness in our lives.

When I think of what causes the most stress and displeasure in my own life, I immediately focus on my worries. I tend to worry constantly: about what I’m doing wrong, about what I should be doing, about what I COULD be doing, about how I’m thinking and NOT doing, etc. The amount of time I spend worrying only steals my joy and gives me stress. And I know I’m not alone.

Dr. Sandra Llera of Towson University addresses how worry negatively impacts the lives of many. She states that excessive worry is the main symptom of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), an illness that affects more than 5% of the population. While not everyone’s worrying will escalate to this scale, we all know that worrying can affect us in numerous negative ways.

Worrying can disrupt our sleep schedules, take us out of the present, and cause us to feel miserable. So what can we do? We can take a hands-on approach to control worry.

Instead of obsessing over all the things that worry you, try a healthy distraction such as spending time with loved ones or having a productive work out session. While this isn’t a permanent solution, it’s good to take ourselves out of the moments of paralyzing worry and focus on something that makes us feel relaxed and happy instead. In fact, sometimes a few minutes of distraction is all we need to realize that our worries can be left in the past where they belong.

Drink some water, yo. I’m serious. If you are spending so much time in stress mode, you probably aren’t hydrating. Just try it. Hydration is a well known link to physical health and guess what? Our brain is a physical thing as well.

Another way to tackle the worry monster is to change your perspective. This one takes repeated effort and is a long-term solution. Try to exercise reframing your worries. Is the issue troubling you something you can actively solve? If not not, consider letting it go. Try to spend your energy taking steps to address real issues, not conjured ones.

While worry can drain you and upset you, it only consumes as much energy as you give it. Breathe and let go whenever you can, and focus on the aspects of your life that bring you joy.