Encouragement From Theodore Roosevelt
Finding the time to read is an oft encountered challenge for many of us, and I’m certainly on that list. Things pile up, and books get set to the side…
Then there are men like Theodore Roosevelt. Whenever I read about him, I come away resolved to read in the midst of a busy life; that it can indeed be done.
Below is one of the quotes about his life that never ceases to inspire me, another great quote about his reading accomplishments is in the article on Summer Reading.
“Once upon a time in the dead of winter in the Dakota Territory, Theodore Roosevelt took off in a makeshift boat down the Little Missouri River in pursuit of a couple of thieves who had stolen his prized rowboat. After several days on the river, he caught up and got the draw on them with his trusty Winchester, at which point they surrendered. Then Roosevelt set off in a borrowed wagon to haul the thieves cross-country to justice. They headed across the snow-covered wastes of the Badlands to the railhead at Dickinson, and Roosevelt walked the whole way, the entire 40 miles. It was an astonishing feat, what might be called a defining moment in Roosevelt’s eventful life. But what makes it especially memorable is that during that time, he managed to read all of Anna Karenina. I often think of that when I hear people say they haven’t time to read.”
― David McCullough
