Don't Panic

March 25th is Towel Day. If you don't know what that means, get thee to a library.

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is a book that rekindled a lost love of reading. As a pre-teen I enjoyed reading, but had gotten out of the habit once sports became my dominate after school activity in Jr. high school. One day I noticed Spacedark had been reading the same book a couple of days in a row. I asked him what he was reading, and if it was any good. He told me the book was H2G2. He gave it a pretty rousing recommendation, and noted that it was funny as well. I promptly forgot everything he said to resume cracking skullz and taking names.

The following summer, I started walking across the street to the library. This was mostly to escape the heat of our air conditionless house, but partly to relieve boredom. I would spend several hours browsing through the books, but never picking one to read. Finally, I wandered into the sci-fi section and stumbled across H2G2. Remembering Spacedark's comments, I checked it out and took it home. What followed was two days of sitting in my dad's recliner, giggling like a school girl. My parents thought I had gone off my rocker. Every time they would ask me what was so funny, I would just shake my head and tell them they would have to read the book to get the joke. After finishing that book, I went back to the library and read all the sequels. The rest of my summer was spent reading any science fiction book that looked remotely interesting.

So, the next time your in the restaurant at the end of the universe, sipping a pan galactic gargle blaster, turn on your SEP field, grab a book to jump start the improbability drive of your imagination, and leave your troubles behind. Oh, and don't forget your towel.