Reading is not going to bed

I get a lot of catalogs in the mail.  One that I got recently is offering a pillow which has a picture of a book and the words, "She who reads never goes to bed alone."

My first thought, " Going to bed with a book is hardly a substitute for going to bed with a hot guy."

My second thought, "What's wrong with going to bed alone?"

I like reading.  I am happy that in the past week, there have been a number of occasions when I've had enough free time to sit surrounded by my books, reading a bit of one and a bit of another.

But reading has nothing to do with saving me from being alone.  Reading is about enjoying  the freedom to do as I wish, free from demands and distractions.  Reading doesn't make me feel I am not alone.  Reading reminds me how much fun it is to be alone.

Reading also has nothing to do with going to bed.  When I read, my mind is busy.  When I sleep, my mind is at rest.

So, reading is not an antidote to going to bed alone, but reading is wonderful, going to bed alone is wonderful, and going to bed with a hot guy is wonderful too.