My Comments

Kimberly,
I totally agree about the effect reading has on people. This was a very good choice by you to decide to blog about this. Clearly, it has attracted so much feedback and so many comments. People can blog very passionately about reading's impact. Personally, I haven't always read like I do today. And reading is truly a life changing revelation. I feel so much more involved, cultured, intelligent and interesting when I have a book at hand. I love reading because it is so healthy, and also because it is just so relaxing. It's nice to connect to somebody else's experiences, and be able to disconnect at my leisure. Unlike the real world, books give me a sense of complete control. When I no longer want to be a part of the story, I can simply just snap the book shut. I wish real life were that easy: just slamming shut the pages when I no longer want to deal with reality. Wouldn't that be nice? I feel that books provide that sense of a) escape & b) the decision to stay or go whenever desired. There is no information that can not be obtained via reading. I love that, that we are not confined to anything. With libraries and books, the sky is the limit. Clearly, Malcolm experienced that. Without books and his determination in self-educating himself, his life would not have been turned around like it was.

Danielle,
I liked the points you chose to highlight about the trip to Harlem. I agree that Billy was so animated and so full of character, and just altogether very entertaining. I hadn't known why they kept calling Neil, "Neil Shoemakers", so I'm happy I read your blog to be enlightened in that regard. It is very interesting that those nicknames stick like that. I wonder if Neil minds, or if has any preference at all. Like you, I, too, was comforted & moved by Neil's persistence in calling us his family. I thought he was so sweet, and his appreciation for us was clearlyyyy conveyed (because he really just kept repeating it). It's so great that he is so appreciative that we come to tour Harlem and he is able to shed some light to people interested in a topic he knows especially well. Ok, that's all. Nice blog!

(To Napoli)
Gab, I loved your choice to write about love. The situation between your parents is adorable. And because I know them, I know exactly what you're saying. They still seem to be very much in love. I love when that exists between married couples of several years. Mine are the same. I wouldn't want it any other way. It would make me so sad if my parents fell out of love with each other over the years, due to lack of understanding and acceptance of each other's flaws, likes and dislikes. I believe that love cannot exist if it is based solely on appearance. One can only truly be in love once outward appearances are disregarded. Thank you for writing about this, and for incorporating the Beauty & the Beast comparison. This blog was really well written and its content was very refreshing and made me smile.

(To Grskovic)
Gab, you are such an insightful writer. It's obvious that you don't just jot down 100+ words to get the assignment done, but instead, you write about what holds significance to you. I love that about your writing. I agree with your assessment about the evolution of Harlem from Malcolm time to present day. I think it's sad, in a sense. Although it may be improving for the better, it is definitely losing its character as traditional Harlem. The 60% reduction rate of crime is a fantastic improvement, in addition to several others. However, Harlem wasn't what I had expected. It didn't think it looked very far off from the rest of the city. It seemed pretty cleaned up and urban to me. And, although I felt safer there than I had anticipated, it was a little disappointing to be in such an evolved Harlem. It seems to me that old Harlem is just becoming a distant memory...