Reading Books & People

The more books you read, the better reader you become.

Because books are written by people about either people or things people do, reading books also helps you read people.

You pay more attention to subtleties like past events, context, tone and word choice when you read books or people. There really is no difference.

Some people, like books, are harder to read than others, but if you have time and patience nothing and no one are absolutely unreadable.

It's a common refrain these days though that people really don't read anything. They skim or look something (usually very short) over from time to time, but beyond that they really don't read anymore.

If you don't read a lot of books, there must be some impact. Since reading sharpens your ability to detect and understand subtleties, by not reading your perception and understanding may remain dull and common.

Perhaps this explains the numerous misunderstandings that arise between people.

Whilst the work place demands absolutely clear and direct prose in communication, if you spoke to friends and loved ones in such a manner life would become as dull and staid as a generic floor in some corporate office.

These days, however, I have heard that several loved ones "need me to be clearer and more direct" about future plans and events that are in no way clear or directly knowable ahead of time.

Last night I heard it again. After I was told that, I took a long sip of my wonderfully bitter, slightly hoppy and perfectly fragrant Omija Ale, and thought, "How sad that no one seems to be able to read me."

I guess I expect more of others. If anyone bothered to read between my lines, or remember who I have always been and the loving words shared over long talks they would hear all that they apparently want stated directly, and more.

Reading isn't special. What reading allows for, though, is a richness and fullness of our human experience.

I would expect others to want to live as rich and full a life as possible, but since this requires people to read, maybe my lowly expectations of others are simply too high.

That is just so damn sad.

But at least I have you though, right?

Happy Valentines Day everybody;)