I have developed a theory, based upon nonscientific observation, to be true, but which I believe has some validity to it, about how a man can tell when a woman may perhaps be interested in him as a little more than just a friend.

It is when she loads up your arms with books and says, “I want you to read these.”

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Okay, maybe if some of the books are on personal grooming or general housecleaning, she may be trying to give you a not-so-subtle hint about things you may be oblivious to, but other than that, I think my theory has some validity to it.

I thought about that this week as the previews for Winter’s Tale began playing across our TV screens, and I recalled a woman I loved very much once upon a time ago, who shared this book by Mark Helprin with me, and insisted that I read it . . . among others.

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At the same time, I also felt a visceral dread upon seeing the previews, remembering David Brin’s great SF novel The Postman, also a favorite among several of the women I have known and cared about in my life.

“Have you read The Postman?” was a question often asked of me over coffee or dinner.

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It was one of those epic novels which so many of us looked forward to seeing when it was announced that a film would be made of it.

And then the dreadful finished product landed with a splat in movie theaters, and our hearts sank with a collective thud to our feet. Well, who know? Perhaps one day a true version of the novel may be made.

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I have written of Winter’s Tale before, but I won’t spend much time on it today, except to say that it remains one of my favorite novels, and I live in dread . . . fearing what Hollywood may make of this beautiful story.

Will it be dumbed down, so folks who enjoy Transformers movies won’t have too much trouble understanding it?

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But getting back to our main point, that of love and books – ever may the to go hand-in-hand! –
as I say, I can’t quite prove my theory in any scientific way, but other men have told me their own stories, that the passing of books is a sign of acceptance, and a desire that two partners may have things to talk about, and that a man may understand why the woman in his life believes some of the things she does.

Sharing Winter’s Tale with me was as much an act of making love, a romantic act every bit as important as anything physical would have been.

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I wonder how many other folks may have had similar experiences, or seen them as acts of love?

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Then again, it doesn’t always work when I try it

Occasionally in the past I would loan my favorite novels, which might have varying degrees of success. The women in my life might agree that this was a wonderful book, or confess that they just couldn’t see what I was so enthusiastic about.

Movies, however, were often a different story altogether.

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Often I would bring a video over, and as we would be watching one of my favorite movies, I would sometimes glance over at my friend’s face, only to see a look of utter boredom.

Ouch . . .

*****

Today’s Soundtrack

Today’s blog was written to the tune of The Best of The Manhattan Transfer, which I found for $1 in a resale store.

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Quote of the Day

We have to face the unpleasant as well as the affirmative side of the human story, including our own story as a nation, our own stories of our peoples. We have got to have the ugly facts in order to protect us from the official view of reality. – Bill Moyers

rsdrake@cox.net

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