Put the book down

I sat on the curb in front of a government office in Pemba, Mozambique.  Years of living in Africa have taught me to carry a book to keep me distracted from the inefficiencies of bureaucracy.  After a few minutes of reading, I stretched and stood up.  A young Mozambican man walked up to me and said, “You Americans sure seem to read a lot.  How many books do you think you’ve read in your lifetime… ten?” 

“Oh,” I said with a smile. “More than that.”  That began an interesting conversation about literacy, habits and why certain cultures value reading more than others.

To read more, check out the rest of my recent post at Story Warren. Then be sure and poke around their website - they're doing some cool stuff!

Grace and Peace,

Alan