Reading is FUN

and also fundamental (thanks LeVar)

One of my very favorite pastimes is reading a hard cover book. Of course, I also spend a lot of time these days reading on my phone, but that’s by necessity not with much enjoyment. But my point this morning is that I have been learning so much about world events lately from my pleasure reading of one book in particular, an unexpected benefit of my penchant for buying real books. I’ve been aware of Dr. Bronner’s soaps for many years, but purely by chance I came across their chocolate bars in a local supermarket. I enjoyed the chocolate so much that I went on line to discover more about it. That of course led to the main Dr. Bronner’s site, and it was there that I ordered Head of Special Operations Gero Leson’s fascinating story of the Company. The book is entitled “HONOR THY LABEL: Dr. Bronner’s Unconventional Journey to a Clean, Green, and Ethical Supply Chain.” The foreward is written by David Bronner, President and CEO (which he defines as Cosmic Engagement Officer). It is a remarkable book about a remarkable Company based on the founder’s moral philosophy of ALL-ONE which is spelled out in detail on the label of Dr. Bronner’s original peppermint soap. Gero Leson travels the world, and the book’s chapter titles outline his journey. Yesterday I read Chapter 8, Olive Oil, A Symbol of Hope in the Holy Land, andI learned a great deal about Palestine. This morning I am reading Chapter 9 about Palm Oil, and I’m learning about the Niger Delta and oil drilling with salt water invading the delta and the myriad problems it has caused to life there. This is not just a book about soap, and I urge other curious readers to send for a copy. Keep up the good work towards a better future for our planet and people, Dr. Bronner’s.

And back to the reading is fun part, I recently sent for the MoveOn T-shirt with the fabulous picture of LeVar Burton calling on us all to “Read Banned Books.” This actually ties back in to the Dr. Bronner story because Gero Leson includes the history of the family which escaped from Nazi Germany. And most of us are familiar with the burning of books during that regime. So a warning about the incremental creep of autocracy from LeVar is extremely welcome.

And finally, because my mind works in serendipitous ways, a memory of World War II emerges. My father was a squadron leader in the RAF (Royal Air Force) during the war, although it was later discovered that he was red/green colorblind which tells me they were desperate for pilots. But I never heard any stories from him about the war, other than knowing that Mum was at Hendon Airbase with him at some point. My sister was born in October 1942 and I was born in July of 1945, so perhaps by the time we were old enough to understand any stories he might have told, the war was best forgotten as much as possible.

To end my rambling, I bring it back to READING. With the amount of verifiable information that a proper research of the Internet can yield, I urge everyone to find TRUSTED sources and to spend time reading every word before reaching a conclusion. And there’s nothing like consulting your local librarian and checking out a fabulous hard cover book. An informed electorate with continued civil dialogue will go far in saving our DEMOCRACY.