The Association of Institutes Incorporated

I didn't know what the term "rose-colored glasses" meant, so I looked it up on the internet. I had originally intended to use a real dictionary, but as it turns out, I don't own one. Then I found out that what I really wanted was an encyclopedia.

I don't have one of those either.

In fact, the only book I own is "America: The Book" by Jon Stewart and associates. It's a pretty funny book. You know what's not funny? Only owning one book; especially if that book makes fun of the country you live in. On some level, this realization made me sad. However, on a much more important level, I don't care at all. Then once again, on an even more important level, I became sad again at how much I don't care. How can I not care that I don't have any books? I'm a fairly literate person. In fact, I'm probably one of the most literate people I know. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I read really well. There's a good possibility that reading is one of my spiritual gifts.

Despite my previous claims of readership, I rarely ever read. The last thing I remember reading is the sentence before this one, to double check for spelling/grammar errors (and because I was surprised that "readership" is a real word). Before that, the last book I can remember reading was something by Donald Miller last year around thanksgiving. It's been about six months since I opened a book. I read screenplays, and sometimes things on the internet, but not books. Not for lack of enjoying them either. I love reading, especially when it's not boring - which we can all agree it often is. It isn't for lack of time either, I spend hours a day working, sleeping, or eating when I could be reading. And when I do read, I end up reading pictures. Usually the moving kind ("moving pictures" they are called, or perhaps "movies" to some future generation), because moving pictures are like words except more animated.

If someone were to ask me "why don't you read books?" I would honestly have to answer "why don't you mind your own business!?" because I'm ashamed of the fact that I don't know why I never read. Having said all this, next time I have some time on my hands and think about reading, I will probably not do it. And do you know why? Because I've gotten so used to not reading that when I consider the possibility, I end up taking a nap instead. I don't understand the correlation between the two. Maybe it's because books are so darn long. If they could be broken up into chapters or paragraphs it might be easier to read them. The idea of sitting through several hours of entertaining or thought provoking material wears me out. And that's just the idea of it. Actually reading a book is likely to send me into a coma.

There is no end or point to any of this. I'm trying to think of one but I really can't. I guess it's just sad then...

Oh well, there's always writing. (Or, in the context of wrongs, "righting")