by Regina Kenney

Have you ever been at a party and had a stab of awe (or perhaps jealousy) at another person’s intelligence?

A topic is brought up in conversation and it becomes immediately clear that they are some kind of wizard-expert and completely school you and everyone on the subject to the point that you have nothing to add because anything you say they probably already know.

What makes you different than them? They read something that you did not read.

One of the more prominent memories in my developmental memory bank was when I was 12 years old at an acting camp at Lyric Arts theater in Anoka, MN. Our director Phil used a big word. I must’ve looked confused because he stopped the class and asked me, “Regina, do you know what that word means?” I shyly blushed, embarrassed, and shook my head no.

Phil said, and 16 years later I remember this vividly, “Never be ashamed of not knowing a word. All that means is that person read something that you did not read.”

So here is my case for reading: One should read to become a more interesting person.

You should read so that when you meet the greats, the successfuls, the grossly intelligent, that you can participate in the conversation and wow them as well.

If you watch sports, you can connect with sports people. If you watch the latest Netflix craze, you can participate in water-cooler office conversation. If you read you become part of an exclusive group of thinkers, connectors, people who analyze the world and seek to understand other’s analysis of the world.

Read to make yourself an interesting person so you can connect with interesting people.