Reading is uplifting

When I was a young boy, my parents really did not encourage me to go to school. It just so happened that I was so close to my elder sister Maria. I was five years old when she enrolled in grade one.

Since I always stuck with her, I always went to school with her every day. Maria’s teacher, who was a close friend of my mother, considered me a “binlud” unofficial sit-in pupil.

I was, however, a below-average student. My grades hovered from 75 to 77. When I got 78, which was for me the highest I could achieve, I would jump with joy.

My father encouraged me to

read newspapers, magazines, books or any reading matter in English because according to him, reading is uplifting. I seldom listened to him, because at 15, I was already in college and had no fixed goal in life. But I helped him with his typing jobs at the Register of Deeds’ Office then housed at the Capitol Building.

Until I was influenced by his lawyer friend who became my employer in his law office. I became his typist for 11 years. And as a self-supporting student, I graduated Commerce and then Law.

I became serious at reading, especially my law books.

Then I realized that by statistics, I have no brain capacity as

that of honor students who usually pass the bar examinations.

So I read and read until I was dead, as some law professors would advise their students.

Then I found in the Bible that the words of God are foundations of knowledge and wisdom. So I put the Bible over and above my law books. Every day, before I read any book, I read the Bible first. I credited the Holy Book in my passing the bar examinations.

So I finally agreed with my father, that reading is uplifting. But reading the Bible is perfecting.

“Happy are those whose lives are faultless, who live according to the law of the Lord.” (Psalm 119:1)