Bookworm

My eldest daughter loves to read. I can always find her curled up in the corner somewhere in the house with her head buried in a book. She loves children's book and to escape into a world of her own. She especially loves to read at bedtime. Long after I've tucked her in and said goodnight I can find her reading, using her toy glow lantern to illuminate the pages.

This evening I caught her again, reading with limited lighting. She shares the room with her younger sister, they have a bunk bed. My eldest daughter usually sleeps on the top bunk. However on a hot London evening, like tonight we put down a mattress so both she and her sister can enjoy the the cooling effects of the electric fan.

Prisoner

She could have been mistaken for a juvenile convict, the way she laid, on a mattress on the floor, with her makeshift lamp lighting up the novel she was reading. It reminded me of the story of how Malcolm X's eyesight deteriorated and how he came wear those iconic glasses.

I was also reminded that I was yet to introduce my daughter to Malcolm X. This seemed an opportune moment to do so.

Context

I told her about the importance of having good light when reading. She already needs to wear glasses and I explained that her eyesight will get worse if she continues to read in the dark.

I told her that there was a black leader, Malcolm X who wore glasses similar to hers. He did bad things when he was young and ended up going to prison.

However when he was in prison he turned his life around. He did it by reading books. Just like her. Because he was in prison, he had to read in the dark. He had good eyesight when he went to prison. However he read so much that he eyesight got bad. So bad that he needed glasses. He was well-known for the things he believed and said. He was easily recognised by his glasses. I'm sure he spent plenty of nights like her, reading in the darkness.

Astute

My daughter pointed out that if he was so bad that he needed to go to prison how did he become a leader? I told her that he turned his life around through learning and reading in prison. I told her, she too can achieve great things. But she doesn't need to go to prison to do it. She can start learning now as a child.

Also she doesn't need to spoil her eyesight either. If she wants to read at night she should switch on the light or lamp and let me know when she's finished. I'll switch it off for her. She smiled and agreed.

Perspective

I left it there. We live in a different time from even when I was a child. My daughters live in multicultural London. They have friends with backgrounds from all corners of the globe, and intermingle with far less friction than when I was a child. This flavours what I teach them and when.

At some stage, when they are old enough to put it in it's proper context, I will teach them about the civil rights movement in America. The different ways people responded to oppression and segregation. I'll teach them about the philosophies of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Marcus Garvey and many others. For now, I'll teach about the importance of looking after their health and eyesight. And plant the seeds of knowledge to come.