literature and libations

 It’s a rare cold day in Dallas (11 Celsius) but the sun is shining beautifully and, so, I am having a beer outside at my local bar. The beer is icy cold, it soothes my soul, and the sun soothes my legs. The misery of soccer lingers over me after a weekend of poor results, and I see people unable to walk, so busy are they on their phones. The modern date is a couple walking around the lake whilst both are staring at their phone screens. And, of course, there is judgement. If I post a photo of my beer on the table beside the lake, there are those who say ‘he is drinking alone on a Sunday’. I walk back home and delve into a book. The reading habit is returning, and it is a good thing because, without it, I felt my sense of wellbeing slipping away. Literature has always been my greatest teacher, introducing me to diverse cultures and distant places. It is what helps me to understand the human condition and what it is that so many people are going through on a day-to-day basis just trying to survive.