Monkey See, Monkey Do

Curious George is more than curious—he learns by watching, just like the world around him.

Monkey Day • December 14

It started as a joke in 2000, when a student casually wrote “Monkey Day” on a calendar. The name stuck, and over time, people began using the day to talk about monkeys and other primates.

But the day itself is not a joke.

Monkeys play real roles in nature. Many help forests grow by spreading seeds. They live in social groups, communicate with each other, and show problem-solving skills that continue to interest scientists. In many places, their presence helps keep ecosystems balanced.

They are known for learning by watching others—often summed up as monkey see, monkey do. What sounds playful carries a deeper meaning. When humans disturb habitats, exploit wildlife, or act carelessly, monkeys adapt by copying what they see. If what we show them is harm, harm is what they learn.

Curious George—not just curious.

So no—monkeys do not just monkey around.

They reflect the world we create around them.

And that makes Monkey Day less about jokes, and more about responsibility.

⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ

Merely Christmas • Darem Placer
Out this season on Bandcamp.

How to Help People Enjoy Reading Again

Here are simple ways to make reading feel lighter, easier, and more enjoyable again.

Most people today don’t avoid reading because they’re weak or uninterested. Life simply sped up.

Videos explain things in seconds.
Reading asks for a slower mind.

But people don’t actually hate reading.
They just haven’t felt the quiet satisfaction of understanding something on their own for a long time.

Here are simple, real-life ways to help anyone enjoy reading again—students, adults, and even the so-called “non-readers.”

1. Keep the pressure low

Reading dies the moment it feels like a requirement.

Let people read at their own pace. No deadlines. No guilt.

The habit grows best when the mind feels free, not judged.

2. Start with what they already enjoy

A person who says “I don’t like reading” will still read a long article about something they love.

Interest is stronger than discipline.
Let them begin where their curiosity already lives.

3. Make reading feel less heavy

Many people stop the moment they see something that looks long.

It’s not the difficult words—it’s the sudden thought: “This feels too long.”

A simple shift helps.

Don’t think of the whole page. Focus only on the next sentence.

One line, then another.

And quietly, somewhere in the middle, the mind realizes it has already settled in.

Reading becomes lighter when the brain stops counting how much is left.

4. Teach simple speed-reading habits

Most people think reading means following every word.

It doesn’t.

A few small habits make the experience easier:

• Skip filler words
Words like “the,” “an,” “to,” and “that” fill space but rarely carry meaning.
The brain fills the gaps on its own.

• Look for meaning clusters
Focus on the verbs, nouns, emotional cues, and contrast words.

These carry the real message.
Once you see these clusters, the rest simply follows.

• Trust the brain’s pattern recognition
The more you read, the more your mind predicts sentence shapes.

Before finishing the line, you already sense the idea.

Reading becomes smoother than you expect.

5. Let them skim first

Skimming isn’t cheating.
It’s preparation.

Scanning the text gives the brain a quick map—like seeing the shape of a road before walking it.

Once the mind knows the terrain, reading properly becomes easier and more confident.

6. Build tiny reading habits

Five minutes a day is enough to start a real change.

One page during breakfast.
A short article before bed.

Small routines grow the habit naturally—without pressure, without forcing anything.

7. Use different formats

People don’t need to jump into long novels.
They can begin with:
• comics
• simple explainers
• short stories
• dialogues
• light articles

Any reading counts.

Comfort first. Depth will follow later, quietly and naturally.

8. Create a reading mood

Videos pull you in automatically.
Reading needs intention.

A quiet corner, soft lighting, and a relaxed mood tell the mind, “Slow down a bit.”

Even a small ritual helps the brain shift from fast scrolling to steady focus.

9. Mix digital with physical

Screens can tire the mind.
A real book resets it.

Holding a physical page slows the world down just enough for the brain to breathe.

One printed book a month is already a good anchor.

10. Remind them of imagination

Videos show everything already decided.

Reading lets the mind build the world on its own terms.

There’s a different kind of magic when your imagination completes the picture—something no autoplay can replace.

11. Connect reading to real-life goals

Reading becomes meaningful when it supports something a person actually wants.

A future nurse reads medical basics.
A young artist reads about creativity.
A student reads about a skill they want to master.

Reading becomes a tool, not a chore.

Reading doesn’t need to feel grand or serious.

It only needs to feel possible.
Sometimes one good page is enough to bring someone back to a habit they didn’t know they were missing.

⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ