Finding Peace in a Good Story

Most of you will have read a blog about my friend Carl. He could not read. Back when he was growing up, talking books were only a service for those who were blind. Now we have talking books for anyone! Between the commercially available Audible and the talking books from the public library, books are accessible to everyone.

For vacation this year, I decided to pick up a series of books that focused on the same character. I thought it would be fun to see the person’s life evolve and not have to let go of a beloved character after just one book. This is not the first time I have enjoyed that strategy.

My family has a book club with four of us reading the same book. The first book was “A Prayer for Owen Meany,” in which I decided to try the talking book strategy and was delighted. The Owen character has an unusual voice, and the narrator uses a different voice for Owen as he reads the dialogue. We recently read the incredible story “One in a Million Boy.” I borrowed it for free from the public library. I also have devotional books that I can read for five minutes to get grounded, inspired, and calm.

I met a woman a few days ago who had a ritual of reading for 15 minutes, or one chapter a day, to relax at day’s end. It’s a wonderful way to wind down at the end of the day, as well as listening to podcasts. We can’t forget about them! I find them the equivalent of a talking book and enjoy listening to the voices of people with something to say.

Enjoying a book, a good story, and a little inspiration is accessible for everyone now. I wish you all the peace that can come from finding a good book. Let’s make sure we bring that joy into the lives of our co-workers by sharing what we have experienced and into the lives of the people we support in whatever way will work for them.