The person who enters a library and can not read has no way to enjoy all that is offered.
And so it is with music.

The person who only reads music has limited himself.

As Chet Atkins the famous country guitar player said when they asked him if he could read music, "Not enough to hurt my playing".

AS for learning to read music -- there's a myth about the difficulties of learning to read music -- if you go slowly it is easy. Stay with the simple forms of music --the big note type. It is very logical. there have been many writtings relating music to mathematices.

Consider that we teach 4 and 5 year old children to read music. I taught two of my friends to read music and play the keyboard -- ages 78 and 82. Hmmmmm!

Go to it, a world of joy awaits you, John C.