How did you learn to read growing up? I remember how I learnt to read, it's probably one of the happiest memories from my childhood. My parents used to buy me this series of magazines that came with tapes. They were called Storyteller and the idea was that you read along in the magazine whilst hearing the tapes with the stories featured on them. You would follow along with the voice as they read the story/poem etc and pick up the intonation, the expression and all the rest.
It is the reason that I was a fan of none other than Richard Briers as a primary school child (not many children were at the age of 8, but he did a cracking rendition of the Wind in the Willows). It is also the reason that the story for this week has been special to me my whole life.
This story featured on one of the storyteller tapes. It centres on a boy with no parents and no name, who lives on the outskirts of a little village. He has a special stone which he uses to go fishing, for some mystical reason that he can't fathom, he only has to drop it into bit of water and if there are fish around, they are drawn to it. Because of this little trick though, and because they do not know him, the villagers are jealous and he has no friends. His life is spent feeling very lonely.
This book is only 16 pages long, has no stand out complex use of language or breath taking plot devices, it is fairy simplistic and there is nothing that should stand it out. So why then is it so important to me that I would spend years searching and spend £20 (more than I've ever spent on any other book in my life) in order to get it?
Simple, empathy.
All my life I have felt like I've never fitted in, even when I've been part of a group I have also felt like the one on the outside of it. I would play the perfect 'third wheel'. I suppose I have just adapted to it over time. Would it surprise you to read that I have felt this way since the tender age of 8?
Reading this story, hearing it read for the first time I remember connecting instantly to the main character. The boy with no name, invisible: alone. Ask anyone I know, they'll tell you, it is something I have struggled with all my life. But there's more than that, I think to an extent we all feel alone at times. Loneliness is the enemy, something we despise in spite of the fact that for us to grow, we must learn to be comfortable in being on our own.
At the age of 8 this book sent me a clear message, I will feel alone, but there is always hope that one day I will find a place where I belong. A place where I am accepted and loved for who I am and not just what I can do or bring to the table. But before I do that, I must first accept myself, I must stand up and acknowledge where I'm wrong, rejoice in where I've done right and be at peace with who I am.
Why this massive journey of self discovery now? I found this book yesterday having thought it lost for nearly 2 years. I can honestly not describe how happy I was to find it once again. Two posts back I talked about being a fatalist, that things were meant for me at certain times in my life. If ever there was something to prove it, it was the discovery and rediscovery of this book.
Book 23 of my 52 book list and a book from my childhood.
Here's a link to a youtube video of the story in it's Storyteller format.
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