Burn After Reading

If you've noticed the book I'm reading (located at the bottom of this page), you may be thinking to yourself, "Why the hell is Doug reading a Conan novel?" It's a valid question.

I think I've made it perfectly clear that women who read are sexy. I, being a writer, also enjoy reading ... anything ... everything. I'll read the back of a cereal box if nothing else is around. I read fiction and non-fiction. I'll read magazines, comic books, text books, police reports. You name it, I'll devour it. Reading, I think, is one of life's great pleasures. It's an escape, an awakening, a detour. I haven't read any of the "Twilight" books, but I'm glad they got people (including teens) cracking spines.

I read anything from political theory to pulp fiction to porn to biographies. I'm not ashamed to admit to reading stuff that some people would call garbage ... or highbrow. Honestly, I have a hard time trusting people who tell me they don't read. I wonder about their motivations and education (and I'm not talking about the kind you get indoctrinated with in school). It's like people who say they don't like music.

Oddly enough, as I write this the "Today" show is talking about the First Lady and how she inspires people to be like her simply through her existence. Women will want shapelier arms and will want to garden ... all because the First Lady has nice arms and does photo ops. As people were interviewed about this I couldn't help but think that these women, the ones inspired by the mere presence of the First Lady, are the same ones who don't read. They are the ones who are so easily duped. (And men are much the same way, but the "Today" show was not doing a segment on men who are dumb.)

Read a book. Throw a brick. Do something to better yourself. There are plenty of people out there who will put you down and make you feel an inch tall. Why help them? Why not make the job a little harder and better yourself somewhat? Explore some new territory. Who knows? You may just enjoy it. Perhaps if you saw the First Lady doing it ...