won't you be my neighbor?

I love the feeling I get after reading a book for a long time all at once. The little things take on more meaning. My life is temporarily not my life; I am living what the author wants me to live. I am temporarily out of my body. I can look at my life from a distance. My brain is full of this new experience and new knowledge and I have to let it all sink in. I have a headache, but a good one. My brain is busy sorting out all the new emotions stirred up by the book. I start thinking in the style of the author. I look at my life through the language and diction that the author might have if he was looking in on my situations. For a few moments, my life seems smaller- in a good way. Today in particular, I related to the author on a personal level. I understood his frustration in trying to pin down the enormity of his emotions into finite words. He captured the feeling I face so well. When I just resort to saying "this doesn't really make sense, but whatever." But this author did a good job of making it clear that his words were merely the best he could do- he still kept the idea that there was more to his words than what was there on the surface. I found myself loving the fact that sometimes you can't write it all down. You merely write down what you can and leave it to the reader to bring it in with them and make it personal. Now the reader brings in his or her emotions so that the words are so much more than letters on a page. They are thought and emotion and experience.

Today was a gorgeous way to start off the new year. Though irregular and unexpected, it was warm and springy. I went outside and read in the most ideal position ever- on the hammock. I could sit and breathe in the fresh, warm air and listen to the sounds of nature. I wasn't under any stress due to deadlines or monotony or anything mundane. It was just me. Reading. Not wasting my day away with the internet or television. It was me sitting in the natural sunlight, wishing with all of my body that it was really spring, but knowing deep inside that I will be rudely awakened to the harsh reality sometime in the near future. It was me walking outside barefoot on the first day of the year. My day consisted of knitting and reading and reflecting (and a few episodes of I <3 the 90's). What an ideal day. Aaand, I finished a school assignment. Talk about a load off my back.

This year has gotten off to a good start. I miss reading. Today was a good break from the regularity. I'm trying to wean myself from the computer. It was a little hard but I'm proud of myself. Now I'm going to go to bed early because I can.

Happy new year!