Words From Alda Clark

Earlier this year I blogged a story about how the bookmobile affected my life as a boy in rural Louisiana. My friend Alda Clark, who writes for our local papers, penned her story. Here it is for your enjoyment.

Recently I was reading Brother Curt Iles’ Blog when I came across a story about the Bookmobile Beauregard Parish had back in the late fifties and early sixties. The Bookmobile was a traveling Library, which made stops in the rural areas so country children would haveaccess to books in the summer.

I was a preteen back then and would just as soon go to school year round, than spend a long, hot boring summer without my friends. But once the Bookmobile started coming the summers were some of my happiest times. Once every two weeks my brothers, sister and I would excitedly wait for the sound of the bookmobile coming. After running to the country road near our house where it would stop, we would climb on and stay as long as we were allowed. The ladies running the Bookmobile were so nice to us and would allow us to check out a whole stack of books. After the first visit I always made sure I checked out enough books to do me until they returned.

That is the summer that began my love affair with books. After all these many years of my life I still remember some of the books I read back then. I never remember another boring summer.My life was filled with one story after the other. As soon as I finished one book I was ready to start another one. The joy of reading a good book is still one of my favorite things.

After all these years my brothers, sister and I still read. They read occasionally but Iread something every day. If not a book, I find some of the Blogs on the Internet very good reading, like the one I found the story on about the Bookmobile. I also love reading newspapers from other states, and as any person who loves to read does, I have read my favorite book, the Bible cover to cover.

 I find it very hard to believe when someone tells me they don’t like to read, but my husband is one of these people. He is a very intelligent person with an IQ much higher than mine, but he has never been a reader.Maybe he never had the chance to visit the Bookmobile. After many years of trying to find a book he would read I finally introduced him to Curt Iles’ Creekbank Stories,he has read every one of them and looks forward to a new one to be published.

I’ll never forget the long hot summers I spent reading books checked out from the Bookmobile. I just wish all the country children today had the same privilege. I know they would find a book there thatthey would enjoy and maybe start a lifetime of enjoyment.

  Alda Clark