Do you read?

One of the truly great ideas I've had in the past month that I've been working to further sustainable agriculture (in an official capacity) has been the idea of a Sustainable Library. Where we would have all the books/DVDs/etc. from the world of sustainable living and agriculture and lend them to people in a manner similar to the ND State Library. You could check them out for a month and only have to pay the return postage.

Brilliant, right??

Someone would surely give me a $10,000 grant to do this, right??

Then a co-worker mentioned this tiny fact to me. People don't read anymore. Really, they don't read. 50% of Americans will never read another book after they leave school.

This shocks me. Me, who is a voracious reader. Me, who would read the back of shampoo and shaving cream bottles in the bathroom, just for something to read. Me, who has at least 2 books going at all times. Me, who has 500+ volumes in her home and those are just my favorites. Me, who checks out 5+ books a week (during the winter) at the library and reads them all.

I can't believe this. Why wouldn't people want to read? Why wouldn't you want to learn something? Go somewhere? Become someone? Have we become so dependent on TV and the internet that we cannot use our imaginations anymore? Have we lost the ability to imagine?

We don't have TV in our home. It's been over three years since I saw any television on a regular basis. I've never seen Glee or The Office. I certainly don't watch the news. And you know what? I think I'm much better off then when I planned my week around Grey's Anatomy, ER, House and The Closer. Come November, we'll renew our subscription to Netflix and watch a movie or documentary every week or so. But that's the extent of our TV entertainment. I can live without TV.

Books, I can't live without.

Am I the only one?