Tuesday

Wow, I'm horrible at staying accountable to you. I could have blogged yesterday morning, but my brain was not focusing, and then I went straight from 12 PM to 1 AM. Food preparation, interview, dinner, games, bonfire, and Skype filled those thirteen hours.

As I interviewed someone yesterday, she posed the question of picking and choosing only wholesome books which teach good morals and show life as we believe it should be lived to read. I know this idea is common in my circles, but I'm not sure if I agree with it.

My go-against-the-grain side has no desire to conform to all of their standards regarding books. Why must they be so limiting in what you can read? This book shows divorce like a regular happening. This book talks about boy and girl interest. This book has swearing in it. This book shows children who are disrespectful to peers and adults. This book shows sin. We can't read any book where these things happen.

I think what bothers me is they want to stay sheltered. No hint of anything wrong can be around them. They don't want to acknowledge that these thoughts are present, and if you actually worked outside of your circle, you would see these things and here about these things daily.

Another part of me thinks it is important for us to be aware, so when we are faced with the questions which come as we work outside of our circles, we have answers. Books allow you to think through situations and scenarios. Books allow you review people as they work through tough questions. Books teach you to read between the lines. I believe books and then good discussion about them are incredibly valuable.

When I'm faced with situations like I was yesterday, I don't answer them because I know we're going to disagree. I'm learning to respect people even when our views don't line-up. I don't have the right to judge them for their views. I should not be so reactionary when I'm presented with a view I don't agree with. I should take the time to consider it, think through it, and see if it has any validity.

I know I need to make some personal decisions soon about this issue especially as I'm looking at a future of dealing with parents and books, but I've never enjoyed drawing lines or making decisions about areas in the gray.