Real Men Reading

I've always loved to read aloud.

In third grade, the teacher let me read to the class from a book about Pocahontas.  She was so impressed (or maybe just relieved she had somebody else to do it) that she let me finish the book out, reading a new chapter each day.  My fellow students enjoyed my reading, to the point that they forgave my lousy, uncoordinated attempt at sports.  I"ll never forget the kid who told me, "That's ok you're not good at baseball, Tom.  You read really well.  I wish I could read as well as you!" Children can sometimes be cruel and insensitive, but that boy's kindness has always stuck with me.

Over the years, I've done a lot of community theatre.  It's been a blast, but for me, there's nothing like reading a good story in front of a group of young students.  When I was invited to read at an event at Blackshear Elementary School, I jumped at the chance.

The program is Real Men Read.  It brings in men of the community to read in front of different school classrooms, and a bring a positive role model to the children. Positive male role models, particularly in reading, are somewhat rare in our society.

It's a mix of facts and stereotypes.  There are a growing number of households where children are raised by their mothers, with no male in the household.  Often, when men are in the home, they spend less time engaged with the children than the mother.  And, overall, they spend less time reading to the children.

The stereotype is that men don't read much unless it's required for work.  I don't know how true that is.  There are indeed men who don't read, but I don't think it's by any means universal.

It certainly wasn't universal for this event.  I thought there might be less than half a dozen men that would turn out.  I was wrong.  There was around twenty!  They came from all walks of life.  Some had children who were students at the elementary school.  Careers varied, from blue collar to white collar.  There was the school superintendent, a newspaper publisher, maintenance men, mechanics, an accountant (that would be me) - the whole range and scope of men and their varied professions.

It was a joy to get in front of a classroom and read.  I read to a first-grade classroom, and then to a combined two Kindergarten classrooms.  The children were very well behaved, and they listened with rapt attention.

The joy of reading is perhaps the most important trait a child can acquire.  Nothing opens up the world more than reading.  Nothing fires up the imagination and takes you to more places than a good book.  You are never alone if you can enjoy reading.

Thank you, men of Pierce County, for helping to bring this joy to so many young minds.

As many men that were there, there was still not enough to go to every classroom.  Some of us had to go twice to cover it all (which I did not mind one bit!).

If you got a hankering to help out with this, contact your local school.  I'm sure they'll have a program for you to help out with.  There are plenty of school children who would love hearing you read.

Meanwhile, take the time to read to your children (nieces, nephews, grandchildren, Sunday School kids, etc.).  Our lives are busy, but we need to make the time for it.  The joy of reading is one of the greatest gifts you can give.

With Ms. Thornton's 1st grade class.  You see?  I'm even shorter than you thought.  Fatter, too.  Oh, well.  Like my fellow third-grader said way back when, "I wish I could read as well as you."  We all got our gifts.