Why can't they read?

I did not play any sports games even from small. So in secondary school when my friends adjourned to the school field after classes I went to the library instead. Being an essential part of a fully residential school the library was well equipped.

But 90% of my time in the library was not spent doing further research of things taught in class. Instead I read materials of interest like music, movies and sports. From there I learned for example that actor John Wayne's real name is Marion Morrison and Beatles drummer Ringo Starr's one is Richard Starkey.

Talking about The Beatles I had a big argument with my friends who insisted that the lead singer for their rocker song 'I'm Down' is Ringo, while I being a Beatles fanatic knew it was Paul McCartney. What a pity there was no internet and no You Tube then to prove who was right or wrong.

My interest in reading continued after I left school. Having money of my own I bought informative books and magazines. Even tough I did not manage to go to the university, no thanks to my misuse of the school library, I had no regrets. With the knowledge I have I am the first person my friends and family members will refer to if they want to know anything which they are certain other people cannot indulge. Of course I read the newspapers too.

The coming of the internet is the perfect bonus to my reading habit. I don't have to buy books and magazines anymore. I can just look for what I want to know by just typing a few words on the computer keyboard. It is just like visiting the old school library again.

So it irks me when people are not aware about things happening around them due to their lack of reading. For example how many Seremban folks are aware about the existence of two new railway stations at Senawang and Sungai Gadut? The other day I was loitering at the Seremban Railway Station when somebody was amazed at a new train waiting at Platform No. 3. It was the new fast electric train between Seremban and Ipoh and he knew nothing about it. Did he read not about the train somewhere?

Yet the same people are willing to sit down at 'ceramahs' to listen to bullshit. With their heads empty due to the lack of reading they are ever ready to consume what the speakers or 'penceramahs' blurt to them, right or wrong, truths or lies.

They should do some reading instead.