From Our Readers

Ballet Dancing

Since I am an ardent ballet dancer, I was absolutely furious when I read your alleged first-person story “My Ballet Career​—The Beauty and the Beast of It.” (February 8, 1983) It is the height of impudence the way you try to run down ballet! You picture dancing as a painful experience, depressive, frustrating and full of perversions. To drag one of the fine arts through the mud like this is downright obscenity!

K. F. (15 years old), Germany

We agree with you and the author that ballet is a beautiful art and we believe that our article showed that. However, the author also pointed out the negative aspects of professional ballet dancing, not caused by ballet dancing itself but by selfish people who can be found in all walks of life. She showed that professional ballet dancing is not all beauty. When you get a little more experience in life you will likely also come to acknowledge the truth in this.​—ED.

Learning Problems

I am writing to thank you for the marvelous articles on “Learning Problems.” (May 8, 1983) As the mother of a nine-year-old boy who has this problem, plus hyperactivity, I was really upbuilt after reading it. People in general are very unsympathetic and label a child as naughty or undisciplined. Hopefully, now mothers, like myself, and children, like my son, will have more sympathy from others. After all, if our children had a physical handicap we would receive more understanding from others.

J. S., Wales

A million thanks for the wonderful articles on “Learning Problems.” Having battled many years under the banners of “your son is bone idle” and “your son is useless,” at last someone who understands.

R. P., England

It is impossible to express the joy I have received from reading your article on “Learning Problems.” For seven long years I have been aware of a problem but did not know what it was or how to deal with it. The morning I was to meet with our son’s teacher to inform her that there was a problem, I sat down to read Awake! I was numb. My son was right there being written about in those pages. I carried the articles with me to the conference, and for the first time I could explain the problem. I knew what was wrong and I knew why. I could get help. I knew this time we were on our way to a fuller understanding of our son. Thanks!

A. C., Germany

Thank you very much for your articles on “Learning Problems.” They were a great help to me and my family because we just recently found out that our son, who is five years old, has a learning disability. The articles have helped us to be more understanding and sympathetic toward our son with his problems, which he has little control over. Please continue to publish more articles on this subject because they are of great benefit to families that have children with learning problems.

J. T., Ohio