Whether it’s at the beach or poolside, America loves to read books in the summer. Women seem to read more books out of doors than men. Whether it’s a novel that Oprah says “will change your life and your inner spirit” or one that a girlfriend has proclaimed “made me cry for hours,” ladies tend to possess the ability to stretch out on chaise lounges and enjoy a good book. On the other hand, men tend do nothing more than sleep on chaise lounges.

Guys my age don’t seem too read much. Of course we’re not going to admit to the fact we don’t read much because in our minds, we think we do. We read street signs, road maps, the digital clock on the microwave and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. We don’t have time to read lengthy novels. That’s why they invented DVDs so we can stretch out on the sofa and watch novels in 105 minutes.

It takes me forever to get through a book. When my daughters were little, I was never able to read them “Twas the Night Before Christmas” because by the time I would have gotten to “. . .  and to all a goodnight” the Easter Bunny was hopping down the Bunny Trail. Not only am I slow, I’m also stuck in that high school mode of studying everything I read. I don’t enjoy the wonderful works of great writers because I’m always afraid my high school English teacher is going to walk through the door and give me a pop quiz on the chapter I read last night or tell me to have a book report on her desk by Monday. And then she’d say those horrible words: “It’s worth 50 percent of your grade!”

My wife is a fast reader. She can read three books by the time I finish reading the title of one. And she doesn’t read fluffy romance stuff with titles like “Love’s Fiery Passion” and “Heart’s Sweet Desire.” She reads intelligent novels. She reads the ones without the pictures in them.

Whether you’re a fast reader or a slow reader or a deranged reader like me who doesn’t test well, it’s always nice to stretch out, curl up or sit up straight with a good bit of writing whether it’s a number one best-seller or the back of the Cheerios box.

But when was the last time you curled up with the Constitution of the United States? No, it isn’t on the best-seller list. No, it doesn’t have a fancy cover that draws you in. No, it probably won’t be made into a movie starring Tom Hanks or Brad Pitt. But yes, it is a very important bit of writing that very few of us have taken the time to read lately.

Sept. 17, 2011, is Constitution Day and marks the 224st anniversary of the signing of this historic document. American colonists sacrificed and died to establish the freedoms guaranteed to us by the Constitution. They provided a Republic that established laws to protect the rights of all citizens. The Constitution they created is now the highest law of the United States.

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution after opponents of the document convinced the nation that a strong central government with no safeguards for its citizens was a danger to liberty. Our freedom and our rights are what make the United States of America the greatest country in the world.

Ten years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, our freedom was attacked by a cowardice act of terrorism.

We must continue to come together as a nation and be more American than we have ever been. Let’s continue to step up to the plate and face these evil acts with courage and patriotism. This is our right. This is our privilege. This is our responsibility as citizens.  We will not let terrorists leave us shuttering in the shadows while we have the Constitution as our foundation and the American flag waving above us. As our pledge of allegiance reminds us, we are “. . . one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

We must continue to remember what it is to be an American and how fortunate we are to live in such a blessed country. Sept. 11, 2001, is one of those days in history when we will all remember just what we were doing when we heard the news of the unfolding events that lead up to so much destruction and loss of life. The day is now imprinted on our minds forever. We must also continue to keep the victims and their families imprinted on our minds forever.

Sept. 11, 2001, was also a turning point. We look to the future with the courage drawn from the past. The United States has experienced terrible destruction and loss of life before, but our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and those before them have always been able to muster the courage and the strength to go on. If they had not, we would not be here today.

Freedom reins. Faith prevails. America endures.

Let us pause this week and make time to appreciate the document that has established our coveted rights and freedoms. In reading and learning more about the Constitution, not only will we be honoring the courage of our founding fathers and honoring the victims of 9/11 and giving tribute to heroes who have fallen defending our rights, but we will be assuring all of them that America is as great today as it has ever been.