07/11/2005 Posted @ 11:00 PM PD/ST: "I Read the Book"

At 46, I have come to terms with how much of a goof and an oddball I am. Most of the time I can revel in it, or at the very least embrace it. I walk to the beat of a different drum, sometimes it's taiko and sometimes it's speed metal, but that drum is all mine, baby.

But 30 years ago I didn't get it. I didn't know I was outstanding in many ways and it was okay to be the oddball. One of the oddities that made me stand out was always having my nose buried in a book. I got in so much trouble, especially in math class because I would rather read than just about anything else in the world. I got conked in the head with a volleyball during gym class because I was sitting on the sidelines reading the hardback copy of "Airport." Why I remember what book I was reading then and that I'm willing to admit what it was is beyond me.

When people asked if I had seen some movie, my response was almost always, "No, but I read the book." I didn't understand the odd looks. As I grew older, I often heard, "No, but I saw the movie" in response to the question, "Have you read this book?"

It wasn't until a few days ago that the full-fledged irony of this struck me. Over dinner SisterR and I were comparing Netflix deliveries and I mentioned that I had just received "Hearts in Atlantis." She said that she had read it was a pretty good movie and without even thinking about it, I said, "I just loved the book."

On the way home, I started laughing. Some things just never change.