Viewing page 68 of 228

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Theme Song  "I'm Going Shopping With You."  Blanche Stuart Scott.

"Round Rochester with Roberta."
1 Recording

Station W S A Y,
Rochester, N.Y.
Monday, June 17/40.
1.30 to 1.45 P.M.

Good Afternoon, Everyone:  The other day I met a woman who boasts she never reads a book.  I took it for granted she was one of those nervous people who couldn't sit down quietly and read something that was to long or to tedious.  But imagine one's horror when she added that she never read a magazine either.  She did confess to a skimming of the daily papers, but mostly the headlines and murders.  Now this woman thinks its a waste of time to read.  There isn't a book or magazine in her house, in fact it has that particularly impersonal look of a hotel bedroom or a model house in the furniture department of a large store.  But I have puzzled over her ever since-- How does she live?  I don't mean how does she exist - For to my mind she is existing, but what on earth does she do with her imagination?  For good books are our greatest companions.  How can she learn anything except her narrow world around and about her?  Years ago when I was very young, my thought of heaven was to have a desert island all of my own- with all the books I wanted to read- time to read them, and no one to interrupt me.  And I don't know that even today, that that idea has changed very much, except now, I am forced to realize that I have eyes and they must not be abused.  But with all the beautiful noble thoughts contained in books how can one afford to miss them?  Thoughts that cause the mind to speculate on everything under the sun - and she is missing all this, because she won't take the time to read.  She is, however bound up in self pity, always bemoaning her fate - yet her circumstances are very comfortable from a financial viewpoint.  No wonder she feels sorry for herself - and others feel sorry for her - for she is missing one of the greatest and keenest pleasures of life - losing herself in a book - but what really gets my goat is - She boast about it.