Saturday, June 22, 2013

Sour Milk on a Saturday

So yesterday I went to my cousin's high school graduation and seeing all the newly graduated kids' faces made me remember my own graduation.  That day is one that is filled with both relief and excitement; an end and a beginning.  And while this isn't news to me, or anyone really, it made me reflect back to when I was 17, and how I thought my life would be when I was 21.  And now that I am 21, I realized that my life really hasn't change all that much.  And that makes me sad.

At 17, I thought that at this point in my life I would have already been living on my own, even if just at a dorm room at some far off college.  At 17, I hoped that I'd graduate at 21 or 22.  And then go to Grad School.  None of these are my current reality.  Although, at 17, I also thought I wanted to be a lawyer.  I quickly changed my mind after entering college, though.  I decided that I would pursue my love of reading and writing, and if I wanted to go to Law School after that, so be it.

So I'm going to make a conscious note to move forward.  Too often we get comfortable in our lives and our surroundings.  Or maybe we're just too lazy to do anything to change it.  That last one is probably the case with me.  Although, if you're exactly where you want to be, then you've done something right. No need to fix something that's not broken.

There's a lot in my life I don't regret, but I have just come to the realization that I am super afraid of going nowhere.  Everyone around me is moving forward, and I'm just... stuck.  I almost gave up.  But seeing those high-schoolers throw their caps in the air gave me new hope.  It's as if their enthusiasm was contagious.  Maybe it is.  Sometimes they say that about smiles.

On a different note, anyone else constantly get sour milk in their coffee?  I feel like it happens to me all
the time.  I just took a sip of my freshly made coffee, and what do know?  It had sour milk!  I wonder what that says about me...

Monday, June 10, 2013

The Little Nook that Could

I'm Back!

I apologize for the long absence.  I have no real reason as to why I haven't updated, other than the utterly lousy fact that I'm no good at finishing anything I start.  So no excuses.  Just the truth.

With that said,  I recently made the life-changing decision of purchasing a Nook from Barnes and Noble.  And I say "life-changing" because I was at first against the idea of e-books and refused to even consider it.  I like the feel of a physical book in my hands, the smell of the pages- everything.  And I like to see a full bookshelf.  I don't know why.  I just do.  But books are heavy, especially hardcover ones, and if you're a die-hard fan of reading like I am, then you can't wait for the paperback to come out.  And heavy books are not fun to carry around all day, on the bus or train.  Plus, the Nook is really tiny and awesome and it fits in my tiny cross-shoulder bag.  That was just the cherry on top for me.  But what really convinced me once and for all to go for it was something that Stephen King said in a recent interview.  He said:  

"The book is not the important part. The book is the delivery system. The important part is the story."

(To be read in a wise old man's voice.  Whomever your heart desires.  I, for one, always go with Dumbledore.)

Stephen King said this when he was asked for his thoughts on E-books.  And it made me realize that, yes, there's nothing like reading a book and actually turning the pages, but I don't read a book simply because I like holding it.  I read it for the story, for the words, for the characters and their adventures.  I read books because it's nice to go to a different world- someone else's world for a little bit.  And does it really matter how I get to that world?

But the point of this post is not that I got a Nook, but what has come from it.  Since I bought myself the Nook, I have already read three books in it, which is a big deal considering that I really haven't read in a while.  And that in itself is a big deal because it is so much a part of me, that I sometimes don't even know what to do if I'm not completely immersed in a story.  Besides, the best way to write is to read.

And who knows?  Maybe I'll be listening to audiobooks next.  Not very likely, but never say never, right?