The Gift of Reading

personified the rugged era of the late nineteen thirties. I think the reason for the number of books dating to that period may have been that during the war years, there was little budget consideration for the purchase of library books.

Movies of the late thirties, which we would see in the local theaters on Saturday afternoons, and later on early TV, featured pirates, cowboys and Indians, as well as classical heroes like Robin Hood, all accompanied by vivid action and stirring music. Then too, we were exposed to characters like Jungle Jim, and other fearless explorers who somehow always managed to run into quicksand or to become confronted by a pack of hungry lions. In addition, we were exposed to episodic serial shorts like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, which were a late nineteen thirties’ scifi staple that we loved.

As far as I was concerned, all of these attractions seemed directed toward a world of adventure and daring depicted in a dramatic manner that beckoned to young boys and their lively imaginations. Our hunger for Westerns made in the nineteen-thirties that were shown on a revolving basis on Saturday movie matinees, was insatiable. When television later became a living-room fixture, these same films were regularly seen on early TV. The lure of the Wild West became an appetite that was never truly satisfied.

The popularity of westerns was yet another indication of that era’s rugged spirit, an energy that later became sustained and amplified by the written word that we would seek out at the library.

Here at our disposal was “Knockout” and “The Kid in Left Field” by John Tunis, the numerous comedies of the Henry Aldrich genre, featuring naïve but humorous and likeable teenagers, along with Landmark books that were historical and often interesting. Most especially I joined so many others in the generation ahead of me who loved The Hardy Boys series.

Later would come, P. C. Wren’s, “Beau Greste,” Jeffrey Farnol’s “The Amateur Gentleman,” Sabatini’s ‘Scaramouche,” and “Captain Blood,” as well as Kenneth Roberts’ historical novels, along with so many others. Thanks to an attentive and caring librarian who will always have my gratitude, I was the first library patron to take out a brand new edition of a massive tome, “The Knights of the Round Table,” set in a beautifully-bound white leather binding illustrated by Howard Pyle. Suddenly, as I turn the pages, I am back on my horse, but this time my imagination takes me not to Colorado with the Lone Ranger, but rather I am on a mighty steed in front of a bridge in pre-Medieval England, staring at the heroic image of Sir Lancelot. Many of us would no doubt cite a similar list. A number of the books I took home did not have a jacket cover, having only the hard book binding itself, and I still like the sense of that raw book feel.

Once again, I had entered into a private world, one to which, from my hours of lying on my living room rug listening with rapt attention to every word spoken on the radio, or while intently reading a comic book, or for that matter doing both, I had been honed to become receptive. In one sense, I went into the library as I did years before into Jake’s Candy Store on a Saturday morning, looking for a new comic book edition. As in Jake’s, I was selective, looking for a hidden find, maybe a returned Hardy Boys book I had not yet read. Reading was something I liked that I could do on my own. Almost everyone I knew grow- ing up who were so exposed became lifetime readers. To this day when we meet, those of us who had that exposure will talk about what book we have recently read that might be of interest.

I never looked at the library as a haven for the intellect. In essence, I felt that the library became yet another kind of pleasure dome, a separate, almost secret place to be readily entertained. Furthermore, reading a comic book or a library book while listening to an episode of Straight Arrow, I would always pause to lift my head up to listen to the searing ‘whish’ of his arrow in the exciting intro phase. The characters and the format of both venues became immediately plausible priming me for other real adventures that awaited me as I advanced in years.

Ultimately, I became better prepared for the encounters with the good and evil, friend and foe, joy and sorrow, as the story of life ultimately revealed itself chapter by chapter.

BY TOM MARGENAU

Q: In a recent column, you highlighted some harsh words from a guy who was critical of the government in general and the Social Security Administration in particular.

I just wanted to tell you that my recent experience with the SSA filing a claim for retirement benefits could not have gone more smoothly. I used the online application process, and everything went like clockwork. My claim was finished in less than a week and my first check showed up in my bank account right on time. Can you please let people know the system works?

Q: It really galls me to hear people criticize the Social Security Administration and them lambaste you as a former employee of the agency. You should know that our recent dealings with SSA were top-rate. The representative we dealt with was courteous, classy and knowledgeable. We could not have been happier with the service we received

Q: I don’t see how you put up with those nasty, finger-pointing old goats who seem to have nothing better to do than gripe about alleged poor service from the Social Security Administration. My guess is that whatever problems they might have had with the agency came about in large part because of the big chip they have on their shoulder when it comes to anything having to do with the government. My wife and I just wanted you to know that our recent interaction with SSA employees when we filed for our retirement benefits was exceptional. They were very helpful.

Q: What I want to know is: Why are you so willing to publish diatribes from people who are so critical of an agency you spent most of your life working for? I just think you should know that when I recently signed up for my retirement benefits, the local Social Security office people were very efficient and courteous. The young woman who took care of me was professional in every way. The entire process was smooth and simple. Please publish the good news about SSA and stop highlighting the few bad apples.

These are just a few of the emails I received following a recent column in which, once again, some guy was critical of the Social Security Administration and its employees. And sadly, those critical emails usually outnumber the glowing ones. But I’m sure that has a lot to do with the fact that people are much more likely to complain about poor service than they are to acknowledge and praise good service. That’s why I was so pleased to get the emails that I printed in today’s column.

Some readers may remember a cus-