Reading Dangerously

That morning light and tree-cast shadows

It was a combination of I-Couldn't-Put-It-Down and The-Traffic-Is-Stressing-Me-Out that made me whip out the book I'd been reading. I had reached the plot twist, and it was making me antsy. At the climax of most books, I have this bad habit of glancing ahead, wanting to find a word or phrase to lessen the weight of not knowing what's about to happen... and then I feel guilty the moment I glean exactly that, regretting I did not wait for the proper build up. 

I finished it this afternoon. I really liked this book, "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan (you can find it on my Shelf in the sidebar,) maybe because it hit close to home, despite it bordering on fantasy. Those first couple of pages describing the protagonist, Clay, was painfully familiar, because I saw myself in his shallow day to day; and then his dull life transformed slowly, just when his life needed an upgrade. I'd like to think that sort of thing could happen to me, but then I don't think I have the curiosity and daring to get involved in an adventure like he did. 

Many parts were actually too predictable, too convenient for my taste, especially how each character was set up to respond to Clay's every obstacle, but it soothed me. The author blended books, languages, technology, a little bit of history (however fictional,) and even knitting (very briefly) -- all things I love -- so effortlessly and humorously, that I remained in that world for a little bit longer, even hours after putting it down. 

Now, all I can think about is immortality...

We Live Life By Days

I've put off doing so many things for "someday," because "someday" was always so safely vague and faraway. I set some dreams aside in this giant box of "someday," collecting them like precious artefacts, taking them out for a dusting once in a while, but mostly keeping them tucked away. I imagined, and maybe half-expected, that those dreams would naturally and eventually be fulfilled; that I would see them realized given enough time. When I got older. After I graduated from high school... no, college. When I started earning my own money, or maybe when I had my first million. When I'm ready. Only, what if it's like having a baby? My mommy-friends say, "you'll never be ready," or at least until you've given birth, then you just make yourself ready.

Suddenly, that faraway "someday" is now, staring me in the eye with a raised brow, tapping its toes impatiently. What now? I figured: either I continue curating this dream museum of mine, where my dreams are kept mint but useless, or I make myself ready to breathe life into those dreams, one day at a time. I've chosen the latter; and in this space, I hope to be reminded to continue to choose the latter by documenting how great it feels to have a dream fulfilled. I want to keep track of all the things I've done to make me proud of being me, and acknowledge even the small triumphs, like experiencing something for the first time. I want to write about the things I enjoy doing, and maybe it'll encourage other people to try them out, live their own dreams, too.

I'll have them good, and I'll roll through the bad; but one thing's for sure, we live life by days.