• About
  • Submissions
  • Store
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

Story Warren

Kindling Imagination for Kingdom Anticipation

  • Fostering Imagination
    • Valuing Imagination
    • Parenting
    • Faith & Vision
  • Resources
    • Books
    • Music
    • Movies
    • Interviews
    • Lists
  • Warren & the World
  • For Kids
    • Poems
    • Stories
    • Songs

A Natural Imagination Boost

March 16, 2015 by James D. Witmer 2 Comments

When I was about fourteen, friends of the family unexpectedly gifted me a week with a summer backpacking camp. We were to hike every day, sleep in tents, cook outdoors, and end miles from where we started.

This was the first time my dad offered me his collection of hiking and backpacking books to read. I remember that most of them were engagingly, even humorously, written. I felt welcomed into a new world, where people argued good-naturedly about the merits of leather versus canvas boots; a realm where, even though sleeping bags were rejected for weighing extra ounces, serious campers accepted the weight of a camp stove rather than strip the forest of its natural deadwood.

Most meaningfully, I felt that I was entering a society in which my dad was already a member. Partly despite, and perhaps partly because of, the independence of reading alone, I felt increasingly grown-up in my appreciation of things my dad loved; developing a greater affection both for backpacking and for him.

These memories surfaced recently after watching a “Love Your Garden” show with my kids. I hadn’t expect them to love the show. I thought maybe they would be bored. I wondered whether my wife and I were being a little…intense, asking them to enjoy a grown-up hobby. (Were we brainwashing them?) But our children did love the show, getting really excited when they recognized plants from our own gardens.

The way our children wanted to talk with us about the show afterward reminded me of how I felt after reading my dad’s books. The more I’ve thought about it, the more convinced I am that this is another way way to encourage their imaginations.

By sharing books, movies, and music that we enjoy, maybe we’re doing more than influencing their tastes and imposing our style on the home. Maybe we’re encouraging them to feel they can join the bigger world, with a starting place, and the courage to imagine themselves in OUR place someday.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
James D. Witmer
James D. Witmer
James is the author of children’s books A Year in the Big Old Garden, Beside the Pond, and the Allen Family Mysteries series.

He continues to write about adventure, backyard wildlife, and realizing there are no ordinary places, and you can find him at JamesDWitmer.com.
James D. Witmer
Latest posts by James D. Witmer (see all)
  • Don’t Be Original - September 25, 2023
  • Celebrating Tumbleweed Thompson - July 26, 2023
  • Escape Into Reality: Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key - January 30, 2023

Filed Under: Fostering Imagination

Get Story Warren in Your Inbox

Comments

  1. Helena Sorensen says

    March 17, 2015 at 10:05 am

    Oh, I really like this, and I agree. Before you have kids, you worry that they won’t like anything you like. But we’ve discovered that, generally speaking, they’re eager to jump on board. Our passions are contagious. Also, backpacking is amazing.

    Reply
    • James Witmer says

      March 18, 2015 at 1:23 pm

      Thanks, Helena. Glad it resonated!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Story Warren in Your Inbox

Join us on Facebook

Story Warren
  • Latest Posts
  • Store

Copyright © 2012 - 2023 Story Warren, LLC · Site by Design by Insight

Copyright © 2023 · Story Warren on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in