A Chapter in My Life – Part 2
By Elizabeth Horner
August 21, 2011
The
Great Darke County Fair is here
and while it brings back many fond memories, it is a reminder that the
start of
my last school year at Greenville Senior High School is about to begin. No doubt, the year
2011-2012 will take pretty
good space in my journal ending this one chapter of my life as I
venture into
the next.
There
is something I am pretty sure
will carry forward through many years to come.
I have grown into this person that feels words
in her heart and soul and
who truly enjoys writing. I
am very
pleased that my recent article, “A Chapter in My Life” generated
feedback from
people across the country and on the urging of “Uncle Bob” and because
of some
feedback I received, I’m writing a “Part 2”.
It is more like a postscript to the original
article.
.
One
of the e-mails I received from
Arlington, VA in response to “Part 1” reads, “I’ve not read Harry
Potter,
thinking it was best reserved for my grandchildren and because I had
narrowed
my reading material to what I thought mattered most at this stage in my
life --
retirement. But
your article seemed to
nudge, no kick me on my side, saying, “Hey, try Harry Potter...you may
yet
discover new worlds...you may yet be inspired to take up another
adventure....”
It
is not always that I get a similar
response. Sometimes
I encounter adults
that think, “There’s another kid just gushing with adulation over Harry
Potter,” and not consider that it might actually be a great literary
piece as
well as a good teaching tool for young people about real lives. My
friends and
I have grown up beside his adventures and I have to believe that it
helped
shape us. Even now,
re-reading the
already well-worn pages, I always find something new that sparks my
reflection. Indeed,
the series get
better and better the more I read it.
I
think that the Harry Potter is one
of several books that are good tools for grandparents, parents,
aunts/uncles to
connect with the younger generation.
A
couple of years ago, I managed to soften my dad’s stubborn refusal to
give it a
try and he initially agreed to listen to me read a couple of chapters. I am glad to tell you that
he has read the
entire series and today, Dad and I get into a number of thoughtful and
lively
discussions about current issues and would sometimes make his point by
quoting
something from Harry Potter.
Reflecting
on the above brings up a
larger issue. In my
mind modern
technology can further widen the gap or promote increased communication
between
generations, depending on how we apply it.
These days, too much texting messages instead
of talking to one another
takes place and it’s not just between two kids but between parents and
their
kids --- and I wonder, like one e-mail I received, are we youth in
“diaspora”?
Editor’s
note: Just in case, “diaspora” generally means “the movement,
migration, or
scattering of people.” If you would like more detail, feel free to look
it up.
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