September 9; Day Nine

The office I work in has a common break room. While heating my lunch, I often see a lovely young lady reading. When glancing over, if we made eye contact, we would say hello. If she didn’t look away immediately, I would ask her what she was currently reading. We then would discuss whatever she was reading and I would try to make a mental note of the title if she said it was a good book.

This week, she has been writing instead of reading. Today I made a comment to her about that. She said was taking a break between books and went on to explain that the last book she read was so good she couldn’t find another to read quite yet. I understood completely.

I remember when I was young my dad taking me to the public library on a Saturday afternoon. We were allowed only five books. Whether that was his rule or the library’s, I don’t know. I would check out five books and the outside world would slip away for the next three or four days. I lived in those books. I can’t remember what the books were, except for the “Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators” series. I cannot recall any of the story lines. This is nothing new. I can watch a movie and when someone asks a week later if I saw that movie, I look at my kids. They say I did see the movie and I have to ask them if I liked it. I digress.

As an adult, I continued reading all the time. I would neglect housework, friends, and sleep, to read. When I would finish a book, my mind would still be in the book for several days reliving the story. I miss those days. I think I have read maybe two or three fiction books in the last five years. That is really sad. I have started having Jessica put books on tape on my ipod and I am beginning to listen while I get ready for work. I’m also going to take a book or two with me on vacation. 

Oh, the book the young lady mentioned today? “The Garden of Eden” by Ernest Hemingway. I put in a request at the library today.