I'm not sorry.

Over the years, I've noticed a lot of people who watch TV feel the need to apologize for it.

I've also noticed that a lot of people refer to reading for entertainment, especially romance reading, as a "guilty pleasure."

But why should I feel guilty for doing something I enjoy, as long as I'm not hurting anybody? Why should anybody? I don't get the allure of chess, but I don't expect people to apologize for playing it. I don't understand the entertainment in watching huge men tackle each other, but I don't advocate the end of football.

(Speaking of football, and for everybody who thinks romance novels contain over-the-top, purple prose, have you ever listened to some of those commentators? They sound like they're describing the Second Coming. )

And is it just me, or does it seem to be primarily women who feel the need to justify how they spend their leisure time? When was the last time you heard a guy apologize for spending an afternoon watching sports? It's as if women aren't even supposed to have leisure time, let alone do something simply for the fun of it.

So I'll read whatever the heck I want, thank you very much and I'll watch TV without guilt. If somebody doesn't agree, that's their privilege. But I'm not stopping just because somebody else might not approve. I'm a grown-up capable of making my own decisions about how I spend my leisure time.

Without guilt and without apology.