Friday Five for July 4, 2003

1. What were your favorite childhood stories?

I know this will completely sound like such a lie in light of my lifelong obsession with television … but I really did read a great deal when I was a child … I also, seriously, no kidding … was fairly active outside … lots of bike riding, adventures, played lots and lots of baseball, wiffleball, tennisball, kickball, football AND I still had time to dedicate my life to the television set (I remember the day with I was 6 and we got cable … such a happy day !) … yet, I still read pretty much anything I could find … I mainly read magazines – Highlights, Boys Life (okay, I didn’t, I just pretended to as I flipped through the pages so that it didn’t appear to be a waste of money while I thought about how much I hated that magazine and wanted to read some of the girl magazines that they had at Kroger) – I read every Hardy Boy book I could get my hands on, most of them I think, there was a series of teen mystery books that I loved, but I can’t remember their names … no common characters, just similar plots … it was Bay something – I read and re-read those, and Star Trek books – all the ones I could find at the drugstore or discount store. Though with total sincerity, my favorite story of all time was … anything in the current edition of TV Guide. As soon as it came in the mail, I devoured it … each feature, all the listings, all the little show summaries … I would have it memorized … I was a walking TV Guide in the body of a 7 yr old transsexual.

2. What books from your childhood would you like to share with [your] children?

Probably none … I’d read them what they liked, try several types and see their favorites … as I have no children 🙁 … my only experience when it comes to reading books to kids is with my nephews and Singer’s daughter … all three of them usually would bring me their favorite book or whatever book they wanted me to read. Though sometimes I’d read Singer’s daughter articles from PC World just to geekify her and tease Singer a little.

3. Have you re-read any of those childhood stories and been surprised by anything?

Nope.

4. How old were you when you first learned to read?

I was pretty young. I can’t remember ever NOT being able to read. My parents had me prepped nicely from the beginning. My midi-chlorians tested high so they knew I had to start my training early … and reading was important.

5. Do you remember the first ‘grown-up’ book you read? How old were you?

Nope. I’m not sure what is considered a “grown-up” book. Probably all of the Star Trek books I read were considered grown-up books, I’m sure Dune was considered such (which I read and do re-read frequently) … but I don’t remember any particular time when I said … wow … my first grown-up book.