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Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Books Have Ruined My Life

Books have made me pretty antisocial.  Today I walked into class, a cold, cloudy morning, and all I wanted was for all the kids to go home so I could just sit and read.  Can we do that?  Cancel school for a book day?  I don't want to be social and go out, I don't want to have to talk to people, my book is too good.  I need to find out what happens!!! Honestly, it doesn't even matter which book.  I get completely absorbed in the story, even cheesy, poorly written stories.

Books have made me prefer the book life.  Some books make me sad to have to return to real life at all, where there are no schools for witchcraft and wizardry, no demons needing slaying (not literally anyway), no vampires: punk, friendly, wicked, sparkly, or otherwise.  Even historical books make me wish I could be *in* the story.  A full length bottle green gown with lace and silk, living that Roaring 20's life, going to balls or having tea...  I used to read the "American Girl: Samantha" books and wished I could take lessons on being a lady, eating little petit fours, learning to sew samplers... I know I can do that now, but it's not the same.  I read a book once about a brother and sister that were abducted by a tribe of Native Americans and were adopted into the tribe to replace lost kids.  I wanted to hunt and gather in the forest, learn to make moccasins, bows and arrows, how to bead and cook food like they did.  Again, I realize this is a totally feasible, real-life goal... but it wouldn't be the same as being abducted and learning first hand!

**A brief interruption to let you know, I do know that sounds crazy, literally.** 

I just want to live a life in all directions.  All times, all places, all universes, everywhere!!!  How cool would it be to be able to time travel?  Or to jump into a book the way Wishbone did? Why can't I do that?  Hop into a space ship and travel to another galaxy, put on some armor and sword fight, ice fish on a lake in Michigan.  Alright, that one, I know is totally do-able with no kind of time distortion or anything.  But it won't be the same as the way Garrison Keillor wrote about it.  It's probably better that I stick to the book life.  I can experience the romanticized part of the worlds, both real and fantasy, and then return safely to my own life where I don't have to live in the mud, be scared of dying from consumption or aliens, or wear a corset every day.  I love the life I live.  But it would be so cool to be like Wishbone.... 
seriously, how cute is this dog?

He got to be EVERYTHING

8 comments:

  1. Interesting idea! I love to read,

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  2. I hope you have many opportunities to share your passion for books and reading with children.

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  3. I hope you have many opportunities to share your passion for books and reading with children.

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  4. I used to imagine myself in iconic historical moments when I read or watched a movie or television show based on history. Your post reminds me of the movie "Enchanted April." There's a character who eschews social interaction for the bookish life, but at the end she has an epiphany about her "old dead friends." It's a fabulous movie, and now I want to watch it again!

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  5. They're not ruining you... they're just making you different.

    Not sure if you've ever seen this quote with the accompanying artwork. If not, I hope you enjoy it: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/c8/2a/b2/c82ab2726f98e72f1ec13d3faa2be898.jpg. (IT's Mary Engelbreit's artwork.)

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  6. It sounds like me! In this year's yearbook we had to name a superpower we would like to have- mine is to meet up with fictional characters.

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  7. It sounds like me! In this year's yearbook we had to name a superpower we would like to have- mine is to meet up with fictional characters.

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  8. That line "I just want to live a life in all directions." Speaks to me. Thank you.

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