Every Tuesday night, my wife plays volleyball at Alleygators. Usually, I'm in class or something, so I can't go, but tonight, I was actually able to go and watch. However, as a usual precaution, I took a book with me. Why? Because I figured I would have no one to talk to (which I didn't). Also, it turned out to be a good thing, because she was playing on the far court where no one could really watch.
So, sitting at a table out on the patio, I read my novel (The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson). Here's what is so fascinating to me: for 30 minutes I sat at that table by myself, and no one bugged me. No one talked to me or even looked at me. A few people two tables over needed chairs. I had seven at my table. They walked right by me, saw that I had the chairs, mentioned it to one another, and then went back to their table and just stood. Seriously.
Apparently, my reading frightened them or something. Granted, this is a bar in Plymouth, and I noticed that there wasn't a single person there who wasn't white or blond (save me), but it was so odd. What was going through their minds as they passed me? "That guy's got a book...must...stay...away...from HIM!"
I even stopped reading, at one point, and offered the chairs to them. No dice. "No, no, sir (sir?), we wouldn't want to bother you." Bother me, I'm offering the chairs. Offering, as in take them from me for FREE.
I told my wife this story, and she laughed at me. She, and her teammates, thought that maybe the clientele of the place WOULD be afraid of a guy with a book. What if he had something to say that no one could make a response to? That would be ultra embarrassing in front of the ladies/guys!
I don't think this is a big deal, but is this some sort of commentary about where our education is going? Don't talk to the guy with the book, because he may be smart?
Oh, and my wife's team lost tonight. Too bad for them. There's always next week.
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