As I was driving home from WalMart, I saw a bumper sticker on the van ahead of me. What? Did it say Deer Park Books? Could it be an advertisement for a bookstore? And on the bumper of a vehicle?
No, of course, it said Deer Park Loons, an advertisement for a sports team for whom one of the younger occupants of the car apparently played.
Ah, but this kicked off my brain's gears and sprockets. If only...if only books were such an important part of the world that people had bumper stickers about them....
In my perfect world, it wouldn't be the president's wife who was a librarian; it would be the president.
People would be so busy reading that they would not have time to commit crimes. Police stations and jails and prisons would all be converted into libraries.
People would get tattoos of their favorite books.
A statue to our town's most famous author, Bill Crider, a person who can create brilliant dialogue and clever characters, would be erected in place of the statue to our town's most famous athlete, Nolan Ryan, a nice person who apparently was very good at throwing things.
Every workplace would have a thirty minute paid reading time during the work day.
People would go on vacation to spots with great bookstores.
Conversations around the water cooler would center on the latest and best books.
Harper and Hemingway would become common names for new babies.
Fun weekend events would be to go to book festivals and author signings.
As people became more and more well read, they would decide to ban all wars. Instead, they would have worldwide book discussion groups. When a conflict would arise, people would meet together and decide on a book to read and discuss instead of fighting.
Ahhh, my perfect world.
Somehow I think Nolan is safe.
ReplyDeleteThat would be a perfect world!
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of the Chi's reading...too cute!
Have you read Jasper Fforde? Almost everyone in his alternate world is obsessed with books. Some have even gone so far as to change their names to those of famous authors.
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of your world. I'd for sure love to live there!
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of your world!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm going to start a sign up sheet. What about a Book World Retirement Village? Maybe someone could create this?
ReplyDeleteI like your perfect world!
ReplyDeleteI love your concept of "a perfect world". Paid reading time would be great huh?
ReplyDeleteI'd join in your world! Let's not wait until retirement though. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I read during lunch, so I guess it's sort of paid, but I would LOVE a 30 minute reading break. How many times I've said to my coworkers "I'm just going to crawl under my desk so I can finish my chapter..." :) And everyone too busy reading to commit crime? How great would that be?
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! It IS time to start thinking of good bookish bumper stickers! They have them for everything else!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to join you in that world!
ReplyDeletethat's a beautiful world :) 30 minutes paid reading time at work? I'M IN! hahaha. I remember when I was a kid, we used to have an hour after lunch dedicated to reading. I LOVED IT. Not many of my peers did though.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful world..particularly the part about banning all wars:)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this post! It reads like a children's book. :) I'd love to have 30 minutes of paid reading at work. Just think of all the customers walking up and asking, "hey, watchya readin'?" Might sell more books that way. :)
ReplyDeleteAny scientists out there? Maybe we need some studies done on the benefits of reading. Surely, if they can find that wine is good for you....A science fair project, perhaps?
ReplyDeleteI totally relate with you!
ReplyDelete:D
Oh, but people DO have their favorite books tattooed. Just Google 'twilight tattoos' for a little creepy book love. Even Neil Gaiman is a favorite with the literary tattooist crowd.
ReplyDeleteDid not know this, celi.a. Intriguing. Must examine tattoos more carefully. The ones I've seen have mostly been skeletons and devils and "I Love Gloria". Perhaps someone has a Great Expectations Pip on his shoulder or an "I Love Pride and Prejudice" behind her knee and I didn't even know it.
ReplyDeleteSounds ideal!! What a wonderful image you conjure up.
ReplyDeleteI am voting for you as president with all those reading ideas as your platform.
ReplyDeleteAnd you made me laugh out loud with your comment about Nolan Ryan being famous for throwing things!!!!
Glad you stopped by my blog, too - lovely to meet you and will be back!