why read

From Love All the People: Letters, Lyrics, Routines
by Bill Hicks.

I'm eating and I'm reading a book. Fine. Right. Waitress
comes over to me (chewing), "What you reading for?"
Now, I said, "Wow, I've never been asked that. Goddang
it you stumped me. Not what am I reading, but what am
I reading for? I guess I read for a lot of reasons,
but one of the main ones....is so I don't end up being
a fucking waffle waitress. That's pretty high on the
list." Then, this trucker in the next booth gets up,
stands over me and says, "Well, looks like we got ourselves
a reader"....It's like I walked into a Klan rally dressed
in a Boy George costume or something.

I read this in a review, and it’s just enough to make me want to go get the book.