The love of reading -- intelligence is vital

Reading before the dance

(Part of the dance series)

Acrylic on canvas

Barbara Muir © 2008
SOLD ♥

I was going to say that reading is sexy, or that intelligence is

attractive.  But we face a growing environmental crisis, and
sadly political and business interests are deliberately
avoiding the responsibility to make critically radical changes
immediately. So it's not enough to say that people who read
are more interesting.  They are in most cases, but we all need
to read.  We need to care deeply about each other's stories and
about issues facing the world.

The move from books to snippets on smartphones, texting, and shorter
and shorter articles is hurting us.  I've been a teacher as my side
job for long enough to see smartphones steal students' attention,
and stop their intellectual curiosity.  I'm so happy that on the one
night I teach now the college supports a no cell phone rule. It
means that people can read, and write and talk to one another --
the whole point of being in a class.

I love the painting that I'm featuring tonight.  For people who
love reading, books are an ever present reality.  Books, newspapers,
magazines, tablets, laptops, smartphones.  For this reader
books still rule.  If I fall in love with a book reading it online,
I head out to buy it, because I like a real book better.

Have a loving reading and saving the world day.