ME READ BOOK

We’re not supposed to like reading.
We’re not supposed to like writing.
We appear to be big, dumb jocks.
We look somewhat scary.
We act somewhat scary.
We get tagged as Neanderthals.
From our look,we are
supposed to like certain things,
do certain things,
and act a particular way.
Because of the way we look,
we are judged at first glance,
judged to a stereotype.

I would like to offer an invitation to everyone who has ever swam upstream against the current of stereotype. An invitation to celebrate a love of books and literature despite how we look or act, especially those of us “Neanderthals” who like to read children’s literature .

Me? I fall into the category of dumb-jock stereotype. I guess a big, football lineman-type, multiple sport-crazy athlete and coach, with a somewhat scary visage which often makes little kids cry, cannot also be an intellectually driven, reader and writer of literature. People seem to look at people like me and naturally think, “He’s a Neanderthal.”

• Maybe its the truck driver looks? (Which, by the way, was the Hollywood descriptor of my extras casting photo when I was given a part as an extra in a movie back in my college days.)
• Maybe it’s the occasional ranting and raving?
• Maybe its the Kansas twang of my dialect or the silent “g” in “-ing”?
• Maybe it’s the smile or the scowl which split time on my face?

Whatever the reason, I have been often stereotyped as the dumb-jock Neanderthal. In honor of fighting against the stereotype, I invite you to join me in a little Twitter fun.

Inspired by The Incredible Hulk, I am going to celebrate reading and literature every Wednesday by tweeting the book(s) I am currently reading under the hashtag, #MeReadBook.

If there is also an audio-book in the mix, that title will be tweeted under the hashtag, #MeHearBook.

Remember: Never judge a book by its cover.