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Hiroshi Nagai's paintings need sunglasses to look at.

They look like how it feels to walk across a parking lot on a 98° summer day without a speck of shade in sight.

They look like heaven but also like you'd burn your bare feet on the ground.

Even when you can see shade you know it's not enough and the minute you step out you'll be burnt to a crisp like a vampire.

This feels like I could trip on that radio and fall right into that water, feeling the crystal waves as I drop in.

And this, a nice stroll down a resort strip, where my sunscreened skin could literally feel cooked if I leaned too close to the tiling.

And then a nice stretch of summer street, wherein you could see your face in the flushed red of that car provided it didn't blind you from its sunny reflections.

***Because they don’t know HOW to read

***Because they’re not ALLOWED to read

***Because they weren’t TAUGHT to read

***Because the generation BEFORE THEM were never taught HOW TO READ or how to TEACH READING

***Because we DON’T VALUE INTELLECTUAL PURSUITS

***Because our society prioritizes PRODUCTIVITY over QUALITY OF LIFE

Sick of the “yall are stupid because you’re lazy” narrative. Obviously people with no time no family no money no books no education no perspective no respect no options no support no mentors aren’t perpetually disseminating themes of Othello on the fly.

People aren’t stupid, reading isn’t the peak proof of intelligence, and society isn’t on a decline because poor people are poor.

You’re confusing a symptom for a cause

reblog it twice and force it

down everyone’s throats