| My daughter was sent home from school the | | | | controls the past controls the future; he who |
| other day with a letter from her teacher stating | | | | controls the present controls the past." |
| she had not been doing her homework and could | | | | She went on to explain how nearly every |
| I look into the matter. When confronted, my | | | | conquering army and regime throughout recorded |
| daughter claimed she was suffering from | | | | time had destroyed libraries full of history and |
| Bibliophobia, or a fear of books. I guess it's a | | | | culture with zealous efficiency. They were |
| better excuse than "My dog ate my homework". | | | | indeed..."afraid of books" that contained the history |
| When I was young, I was well known for my | | | | of those conquered civilizations. |
| ability to stare anyone down without laughing first. | | | | In 1562, a Franciscan Friar ordered Spanish troops |
| My daughter seems to have inherited this unique | | | | in Mexico to burn thousands of Mayan hieroglyphic |
| ability as well. I can't even say Bibliophobia with a | | | | books and effectively erased in one day nearly |
| straight face; much less use it as an excuse for | | | | the entire record of a civilization in order to pave |
| why I didn't do my homework... or my taxes | | | | the way for Christianity. |
| properly. | | | | In 1914, the German army, after invading the |
| My daughter said that in fact this was a very real | | | | Belgian city of Louvain, burned the cities |
| and very serious condition; she had even seen a | | | | magnificent library of more than 300,000 volumes |
| video about it on YouTube. Note to self: | | | | and more than 1,000 irreplaceable enlightened |
| Investigate what this "YouTube" is that everyone | | | | manuscripts to the ground in no act of military |
| keeps talking about. | | | | significance at all. |
| Anyway, as Dr. Phil would most likely advise, I | | | | In 1975, Cambodia leader Pol Pot ordered the |
| demanded that she look her fear in the face and | | | | destruction of nearly all of Cambodia's manuscripts |
| tackle it head on. I wasn't so sure this was going | | | | and monuments. The Khmer Rouge regime went |
| to fly with her after our little "I'm afraid of | | | | so far as to examine ordinary citizens for tell tale |
| thunder and I want to sleep in the bed with you - | | | | marks left on their nose from reading glasses, a |
| no, go confront your fears - lightning strike | | | | crime punishable by death. |
| mishap", but I gave it a shot anyway and | | | | And most recently, the Taliban wiped out and |
| demanded she do a "book report" on | | | | erased nearly every written trace of |
| Bibliophobia...kind of ironic, huh? | | | | non-fundamentalist Afghan culture. |
| I told her she had to do the research the way I | | | | I could tell that this little exercise of mine had a |
| had to as a kid. No Internet, no Google, no | | | | profound impact on my daughter. She even |
| Wikipedia. Nope, I broke out the old Encyclopedia | | | | asked if she could keep the encyclopedias in her |
| Britannica stored away in our dusty attic and | | | | room; she said they had a comforting smell. I told |
| made her confront her fear. "No Internet", she | | | | her that was mildew, but that I understood how |
| cried in horror. "This is child abuse, I'm texting the | | | | she was feeling..what was new to her was |
| authorities!" | | | | nostalgic for me, Ahh, the never ending irony of |
| Note to self: Google what this "Texting" is I keep | | | | my life. |
| hearing about. | | | | I apologize for my light approach to this article |
| I must admit that I was quite surprised with what | | | | subject matter, but it's necessary for me to find |
| she came up after Social Services had left and | | | | humor in life. Phobias are a form of Anxiety |
| she got down to writing her report. She certainly | | | | Disorder of which I'm intimately familiar, and it |
| made me think about Bibliophobia more than I | | | | certainly takes more than just "facing your fears" |
| thought was possible, or more accurately, the | | | | to overcome them. |
| definition of Bibliophobia. | | | | Forcing myself into an elevator or to climb onto |
| In the dictionary, Bibliophobia is defined as a fear | | | | the roof of my home has only succeeded in |
| of books. My daughter thought a better definition | | | | irritating the guy's down at the Firehouse... seems |
| would be: a fear of what books may do. After I | | | | cat's get better treatment than humans when |
| heard her explanation as to why, I told her Mr. | | | | stuck in high places! |
| Webster himself would probably agree it was a | | | | Anyway, if you would like to check out the |
| more accurate definition. She told me her | | | | YouTube video I referenced or view a complete |
| teacher's name was Mr. Thorne, not Mr. | | | | list of Phobias, of which there are hundreds, you |
| Webster...again with the straight face. | | | | can go to my website. And yes, as technically |
| I let the comment slide for the moment and | | | | challenged as I am, I do have a website...thanks to |
| focused on her report. She began by quoting | | | | my lazy, Bibliophobic daughter. |
| George Orwell from his book 1984..."He who | | | | |
