martinimade

"My mother taught me to read when I was four years old. Mom is a compulsive reader. She reads for pleasure, she reads to edify herself, but more often than not, she reads because she can't help it. I understand. The minute I find myself sitting still, I start rummaging around for printed material. Pretty much anything will do -- a book or magazine, sure. But also cereal boxes, the weekly shopper, the underside of the Kleenex box, or the back of the toothpaste tube. (I can recite by heart: "Crest has been shown to be an effective decay preventing dentifrice that can be of significant value when used in a conscientiously applied program of oral hygiene and regular professional care.")

-- Coop: A Family, A Farm, and the Pursuit of One Good Egg by Michael Perry. I have laughed out loud more time than I care to count with this one.