A TRIBUTE TO NANCY DREW
When I was in fourth grade I read
my first Nancy Drew novel and instantly became addicted. Growing up in a rural
area, I couldn't find enough of her books to keep me satisfied. Then we moved.
To my delight, my new best friend who lived across the street had a whole slew
of Nancy Drew Mysteries. Her name was even Nancy. Her mom had been a fan and
had named her first daughter after her favorite fictional character. Of course,
my new friend couldn't care less about Nancy Drew and didn't even like
mysteries. Or reading. Which worked out great for me. I got to read and keep
them all.
I eagerly read each new
installment through my fourth, fifth and sixth grades. In seventh and eight
grades I "moved on" to finer literature, but secretly kept reading
each new Carolyn Keene release even though I didn't know they were written by a
host of hired writers. I eagerly ate up each new adventure, imagining I was
along for the ride.
Looking back I can see the impact
Nancy Drew had upon my life. She
gave me a desire to see the world, experience new things, and to stand up for
the underdog. She gave me a love for experiencing life first hand. I'm sure
it's not a coincidence that I've traveled to Hong Kong, the Amazon, and beyond. Or, that I've tried my hand at stain
glass, pottery throwing, and sketching. I've downhill skied, rode horses, and
only balked at skydiving. [Sorry Nancy, there are some limits to my
adventurousness.]
So you see for me, fictional
characters are real. Nancy helped shape my life with endless new adventures and
challenges. Reading her books provided me with the wide-open windows of
possibilities that I might have otherwise have missed.
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