READING. Part 2

A glorious Wednesday morning to you my dear readers. Thanks for your encouraging comments on my first post. Let's proceed on the beneficial topic of Reading.
There is a man I admire very much. He is Dr Benjamin Solomon Carson, former world-class neurosurgeon, philantropist, author, American black politician serving as the 17th and current United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the current Donald Trump administration. As a matter of fact, he is one aspirant I prayed for at the last American presidency elections. After reading his book 'Gifted Hands', I took interest in him and followed his great success story, maybe because his humble beginning was similar to mine in some ways. Dr. Ben Carson had a modest childhood; he grew up in the back streets of Detroit, Michigan in the U.S.A. He credits his mother's influence largely for his success. By struggling to pay for his education, praying with him and helping him to study hard, the mother transformed him from a junior school near-dropout to a Yale University psychology graduate, becoming a neurosurgeon at University of Michigan and joining Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions at 33, where he ultimately became professor in neurosurgeon, psychiatry, plastic surgery and paedriatric medicine. He is reputed as the first neurosurgeon who successfully separated a siamese twin joined by the brain. That is an example of how far extensive book reading, wide studying and trusting God can take us. One of Dr. Carson's quotes was: "When you trust GOD to fulfill the promises He's given you all the forces of darkness cannot stop GOD from bringing your dreams to pass."
While I was studying in London, I also spent time studying people in that city which is perhaps the world's most cosmopolitan city. There, people of all races, colour and creed abound. Interestingly, I learnt most from the literate whites. I found that in the trains - surface or underground, on the buses, in the packs, at tea or lunch breaks and in their homes especially before falling asleep, they spent every spare time reading. They read newspapers, books, novels, magazines and journals everywhere rather than stay idle. I concluded that that's why they are more civilized than the rest of us who just stare, gaze or gist all our spare time away. They are always acquiring knowledge while we dwell in ignorance of the world around us. No wonder they keep improving their nation while we remain static and stoic. Reading is a culture we need to develop. While we were younger, we read a lot of novels and fictions. I remember I tried to read most of Harold Robbins best-selling voluminous novels like The Dream Merchants, 79 Park Avenue, Carpetbaggers etc. But most people soon throw away the habit of leisure reading when they stop being students or enter the working life. That ought not to be so. Books are the written experiences, thoughts and memoirs of people who want to share these with others to educate, entertain or generally improve their horizon. Therefore to be wiser, smarter, more informed and more educated, our slogan should be, READ SOMETHING TODAY! [Operation R.S.T.]
Please look out for Part 3 of the series on Reading. God bless you richly.

Olusegun Ojosipe-Isaac
olusegunisaac2018@gmail.com