Curiosity Killed the Cat- But not me

I am horrified by the number of people that tell me unashamedly, they NEVER read.
I am equally disgusted by the number that are surprised that I read all of the time. I visit my bookstore on a bi-weekly basis. I have a “budget” for books. My bookseller knows me by name, and I usually give the books I buy away to others as gifts or keep the classics as a lending library to friends. I don’t go out much,other than Ferndale and occasionally the Whiskey. I rarely buy clothes, but I do buy books. Most of them are paperbacks.The hardcovers I usually buy from the reduced section ($2.99 to $9.99). I am giddy with anticipation when I buy a new book. It’s like having a date with someone new and interesting.
I like funny. Christopher Moore is a favorite. I wish I were a gay man, just so I could seduce David Sedaris, I love him so!
I am also reading the classics: 1984, Middlemarch, On the Road (I hated it!), In Cold Blood. I am looking for a copy of Siddhartha, because Evan Genest recommended I try reading it again because I loathed it in high school. It was life changing for him. What the hey? Maybe I'll like it now?
I am also in pursuit of music from the 30’s. That will be much harder to come by I’m sure. I like the Billie Holiday- variety genre. They were pretty free-wheeling with music during that period. I admire it.
I simply can’t imagine what life would be without books, art and music.
I was raised by a working class Mom. She made tanks for the government. My Grandma was a meat cutter for A&P. They both read all of the time as well. My Mom went to every Solo and Ensemble I sang in, she and my family attended the plays I was in. Mom took me to OU for my vocal lessons at 16. My Aunt Kaye took all of us cousins, 8 at a time to Greenfield Village, which I still adore today. I’ve been there so much; I could practically give a tour.
An appreciation for the arts, history, music, and theater were part of my life. It had nothing to do with class, status, educational level. I had a natural talent for music, and my family encouraged me to pursue it.
Society has become ignorant is its drive to educate. It’s all about academics. There’s no art left in it.Imagine “Yes Mrs. Sedaris, David is a talented writer, but since he sucks at math and science, he’ll never be an engineer so we’re holding him back”
Reading, playing and listening to music, performing in plays, building sets, dressing in period costume and giving tours are admirable pastimes. I am studying for the medical profession, but many of the people I know in that field are also musicians. Academia is an art form too. Literature, science, and math have artistic components to it.
But when you disallow creativity you kill the soul
My own kids are okay academically, but they SHINE when following their interests. My daughter is an artist, photographer, plays guitar, and sings beautifully. She loves to cook, and will attend either culinary school, or major in Stagecraft. My son skateboards, plays, guitar, drums and can sing too. His band is on My Space.
They’re nice, well rounded kids. Do I give a rats ass that they’ll probably never build a bridge? Not me. My job was to help them to grow into productive, decent human beings.
I’m nearly done with that job now. Abi graduates in 2008, Evan in 2011. They’ll begin their own lives. I have boxes of books set aside, that were my kid’s, for the grandchildren of the future. You can never start too soon.