look-people

I left before we did the long poses, I was too tired. Walking a dog sure eats energy. I also did a parental advice, about reading again, the topics are starting to recur. The column tells us not to over-emphasize reading, not to spoil the pleasure of reading by pushing it. The column cites the famous Annie MG Schmidt quote je hebt nu eenmaal leeskinderen en leefkinderen (there are read-children and live-children). Which sounds great, but is extremely simplifying. My daughter and myself, we are neither. We are not really leeskinderen, read-children. We certainly are not leefkinderen either, we don't even play soccer. I think maybe we are kijkkinderen, look-children. Otger is a read-animal, he devours books, but he is beside my point right now. My point is that in my experience kids (or grownups) who don't constantly read, are thought to prefer easy books. Page turners, romance novels, or what have you, chicklit. Yikes! The fact that we don't read for pass-time doesn't mean we are stupid! And I hate the kempy way in which it is sort of allowed nowadays and all of the sudden to confess one's tendency to garbage. Kijkkinderen may not read much, but may just as well expect the books they do read to be worth their while. Piffin had Wittgenstein's Tractatus on her night stand when she was not even twelve. So! Don't insult the kijkkinderen among us.