Dear Reader:

Have you ever wondered how it is that you can grasp a new meaning, a meaning not your own? Grasping a meaning not our own is necessary to the very act of reading. Readers do it easily. Their minds just fly down the pages as they read. Meanings come easily when the writing is clear to us, but what happens when we read and fail to grasp the meaning? What do we do then? We just stop reading. If the puzzling meaning is important to us, then we reread.

Suppose you were to receive a note from your spouse that read, “I'm here marking time for the delivery.” The meaning you grasp is, “Why is she leaving me a message about marking the time for the delivery?” This message stops you. You are not reading any more; instead, you are wondering, “What does she mean? Does she mean that she wants to tell me the time of the delivery? If so, why didn't she write it on the note? Or does she mean she wants me to meet the delivery person? Or does she mean that she is waiting for the delivery?” You stop and try to figure out which meaning you want to take from the note. You will act very differently depending on the meaning you grasp.

Reflect for a minute on feelings. Your feelings of being stopped cause many questions to pop up.