Day #470 Six Words Changed My Attitude

Several years ago I was doing a book-signing at a bookstore in North Georgia. At one point, the number of customers had slowed to a trickle, then to a standstill. The owner took the opportunity to talk to me about a series of books she loved.

“You have to read them, Fran,” she told me, and went on to give a summary of the plot of Hunger Games, the first book in the trilogy. I made some polite noises, but closed my mind to the book. You have to read them, Fran -- six words I happily ignored, because the thought of reading a book about a repressive government that forced selected children to fight to the death once a year sounded about as interesting as a root canal.

She went on to replay the plot of the second book (at that time the third one hadn’t come out yet), but it still didn’t strike my fancy. You just have to read them, she told me again. Six more words that fell on deaf ears.

But then my granddaughter said a slightly different six words: “I wish you’d read it, Grannie.” She’d just finished telling me how much she’d enjoyed that first book and wanted to discuss it with me. But there was nothing to discuss, since I hadn’t read it. Until she made her request.

There’s a big difference, wouldn’t you agree, between you have to and I wish you would.

The upshot of all this is that I bought Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins for my brand new Kindle and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Now I can’t wait to discuss it with the one who talked me into it in the first place.

BEEattitude for Day #470:

       Blessed are those who persuade with gentle, honeyed words, for their buzz shall be listened to.

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The teeny details:

my books:  http://www.franstewart.com Please buy them from an independent bookstore or directly from my website.

my eBooks for Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Fran+Stewart