Friday, September 27, 2013

Banned Books, Nerds & Other Random Stuff

I’ve heard from a little bird that this is the official Banned Books Week.  I’ve just got one question before I jump in and talk about my favorite banned book.  Who the heck comes up with these official holidays?  Isn’t it really just someone one who had this clever idea, sent it out into the universe under a great network, spread across the continents,  and now taken as truth, when perhaps there’s not a shred of it anywhere at all?  Another question pops up from that one.  Why can’t I do the same thing, or have the same fire start, with the announcement or marketing of my books? 
So, it’s Banned Book Week?  Well, the only book I’ve ever heard rumored as banned - I would have never read had it not been so controversial.  I’m talking about the Harry Potter series.  When the firestorm ran through the churches and I saw mothers get up and cry in front of congregations in gratitude their children hadn’t fell ‘under the spell’ of the bewitching books… well, I just had to read them and witness this power for myself.  I’d like to say I was able to stand against the temptation and resist the evil that was corrupting our children, but I fell hard for the Harry Potter universe, becoming one of its willing and faithful victims. 
My next piece of randomness this morning revolves around nerds.  I’m sorry, but I have the biggest weakness for highly intelligent men, whose minds know things I can only touch the surface.  I’ve learned in my age of wisdom, that men who are passionate about learning are often passionate about everything else in their lives, especially when it comes to women.  What I find ridiculous, is women who prefer brutes without brains or pretty pecks without promise.  A brilliant mind is the best aphrodisiac I’ve ever experienced. 
Perhaps I’m the nerd.  I think I’m a very beautiful woman, but I’ve never been impressed with a man who was attracted to my body only, especially one who doesn’t listen to a word I say.  I absolutely melt when I know I’ve been listened to, I’ve been understood, and a man shares intimately his thoughts, dreams, emotions and quirky ideas.  Sure, a passionate kiss is great and I’d love experience lots of them. If I had to choose to never kiss again, yet have someone push the boundaries of my understanding and take me on great adventures of intellectual existentialism, well, I’d choose the latter and find myself in love, hooked, and completely undone under their brilliant verbose. A sweet pair of eyes wouldn’t hurt either.
And for the last piece of randomness this morning: Be passionate about everything.  I’m learning passion if very painful.  It’s the biggest risk I take every day, most often seeming to backfire, because for it to be true passion, my heart has to be completely invested.  But, I’ve lived too many years dead inside.  Yes, I feel a lot of pain, but at least I feel something.  Those few moments of joy, appreciation, passion, excitement, thrill, enlightenment and love are worth any pain or disappointment I have to endure.  Without passion I would miss all the good things in life – love, friendship, family. 
Some days I think I can’t possibly cry any more, and want to curl into a ball and hide from the world – licking my wounds.  But something will happen, a wave of joy, a smile, a kind word, an intimate expression of affection by someone I love and admire, and those tears go away and make life worth living.
Be the reason to dry someone’s tears today.  Be passionate.  Be a nerd.  Read a banned book.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray

No comments:

Post a Comment