Three Books
There were three books that had a big impact on Hudson.
The first was Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. Hudson picked it out at the library during one of their reading periods in fifth grade. It was the first time he realized that books could actually be interesting. After that, he read everything he could find.
The second book was You’re Already Dead, by Daisie Newman, which he read when he was nineteen. It was the first book he read that made him realize how meaningless everything in his life was: that his life was a cosmic accident and no matter what he did, the entire universe was destined for destruction. He stopped hanging out with his friends. Eventually he quit his job.
The book that arguably had the biggest impact on Hudson was the hardcover version of the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition. This occurred a month after he was evicted from his apartment. He attempted to hold up a bookstore with nothing more than an unusually pointed metaphor, but when he turned to look behind him, the clerk grabbed the dictionary and slammed it into the back of his head.
Hudson was arrested and sent to jail for a few months. It was here that he realized that while he was definitely going to be dead at some point, he wasn’t dead right now and that was the moment where he happened to be. He started to write his memoir, called From Ender to Merriam-Webster: My Journey with the Written Word. He hoped it would be have an impact on other people’s lives, although he planned to only publish it in softcover editions.
This is in response to WordPress’s Daily Prompt, which is a feature they have on the site. I’ll be doing these fairly regularly from now on.
The Green-Walled Treehouse 
I find it inspiring that Hudson decided to turn his experiences into a memoir, hoping to influence others through his unique journey with the written word. It’s a great reminder that even in our darkest moments, there’s always an opportunity to learn, grow, and make a difference.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Exactly. Anything can become a story, anything can become a lesson. There’s always hope even in the darkest times. Thanks for reading and commenting. I appreciate it.
-David
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was a surprise expecting Muse On Monday. You know how much I love books and for years had a HUGE Webster dictionary I treasured, so your story has a personal significance.
Loved the quirky twist at the end. I think you were letting your writer show when you wrote…He hoped it would be have an impact on other people’s lives, although he planned to only publish it in softcover editions. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I don’t know if I ever had a large Webster but I did have a large Petit Robert French dictionary that weighed the equivalent of a newborn. Ironically called the Small Robert, although the full Robert was apparently several large volumes so I guess it’s all relative. In any case, not something you want having a direct impact on your skull. 🙂 Thanks for reading, as always. It’s always appreciated.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Mine was massive. A gift from a man I used to taking walking. He had had a stroke, so I remember it took an hour to go around the block. I was so young and insecure at that time about not being educated. Hence, the dictionary that weighed the equivalent of a newborn. So Love that. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
growing up, our dictionary was used a lot. I remember my mom leaving the supper table to go look words up if they came up in our conversation. These days we’d just use a phone, I suppose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, we do. We’ve become monumentally spoiled.
LikeLiked by 1 person