Parenting & Family Quote by Susan Collins

Collins frames reading to children as both policy and pleasure, a neat bit of political alchemy that turns a civic obligation into an intimate scene. “Worthwhile investment” borrows the language of budgets and returns, translating childhood literacy into something even a fiscally minded voter can endorse. Then she pivots: it’s also “a wonderful experience,” reclaiming the topic from spreadsheets and placing it in the realm of warmth and personal fulfillment. The pairing matters. It signals competence (I care about outcomes) without sounding technocratic (I also care about people).

The credentialing is deliberate. “I have visited 119 schools in Maine” is not a casual detail; it’s a numerical proof of proximity, a way of saying she’s logged the miles, shaken the hands, seen the classrooms. The specificity reads as accountability in an era when politicians are accused of parachuting in for photo ops. Of course, the number also functions like a quiet brand: Maine-first, retail-politics-heavy, the senator as familiar face in local institutions.

The subtext is reputational maintenance. By emphasizing school visits as “among the most rewarding experiences” in her public-service career, Collins aligns herself with the least controversial, most broadly appealing version of politics: listening, encouraging, showing up. It’s a soft defense against cynicism about Washington, suggesting that public service can still be measured in story time, not just votes.

Contextually, it echoes bipartisan literacy rhetoric and the long tradition of politicians using education as a moral common ground. It’s hard to argue with reading to kids; that’s precisely why it works.