Reading. It does a body good. It starts with the head and works its way down from there.
The reading can start with anything. Novels, non-fiction books about people, places, things, ideas. There is humor and poetry. It comes in all shapes and sizes. Although, I must take a brief sidebar and say that not all reading is necessarily good. There are lots of things out there based on lies and propaganda. It is how Hitler won the day with his Nazis.
But back to the good book. Or article. They are formed by words, also a beautiful thing. And they must be carefully orchestrated to make cohesive sentences. Blah, blah, blah, blah.
And you know how the rest goes from there. One sentence leads to another, and so on.
What I like about reading is that it can expand our vocabulary. For instance, just this morning I expanded my vocabulary when I was reading an article about the Giant Gypsy Moths that are going to start invading us. I guess I shouldn’t just spring that one on you without a small explanation.
Yes, the article said that the Giant Gypsy Moth, all the way from Asia, has begun appearing in the northwest United States. Some were spotted in Snohomish County, which is just northeast of Seattle, Washington. They say we shouldn’t be so worried about the Murder Hornets, as these Giant Gypsy Moths can do much more damage.
Apparently, they go in and suck the living life out of trees and plants. Yes, that article said (as I was reading it, expanding my vocabulary) these moths will “endanger the agricultural and horticultural industries of the state of Washington and seriously threaten the economic well-being and quality of life of state residents.” (USA Today)
These moths are quite the destructors. They can completely defoliate trees, leaving them weak. And those sickly trees are then more susceptible to disease or attack by other insects. And then this behavior can wipe out entire forests.
The article was fairly well-written, but it left me with some questions when it was all said and done.
First of all, when you call something “Giant” — you darn well better explain just how giant the thing is. For instance, if they make their way here to Ohio, do I have to worry about one of them swooping down and snatching Louie while we are outside? Are they taller than me? How giant is giant? Fee-fi-fo-fum giant?
Also, the article didn’t say how they got here. Was it boat, or plane? Or do they just have the ability to fly the whole distance of the Pacific Ocean? These moths, with their giant suitcases, boarding cruise ships to America. The pictures I have in my head right now are going to keep me up at night. I’m already having intermittent COVID dreams.
This whole thing started because I didn’t know the very last word of the article: biota. And I had to look up biota. To save you the trouble, just in case:
bi·o·ta | bīˈōdə |
noun Ecology
the animal and plant life of a particular region, habitat, or geological period: the biota of the river.
Giant Gypsy Moths, invading any biota they want. This whole thing is upsetting. Now I am thing Mothra vs. Godzilla. Invasions. Nightmares.
Okay, so what I said about reading doing a body good?
I’m hoping you didn’t read that.
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“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons
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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
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“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
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