A writer writes

Since starting my new job (August) I began a new thing. Driving 35 minutes one way to work. This may not be a new thing to most of you, but for me, this is crazy driving. For the last 20 years, the furthest I drove to work was 10 minutes, so this 35-minute drive is insanity.

I have also found out with all the new technology gadgets I have, I find myself doing less of what I like to do...read. One summer I read 20 books in a matter of three months. I felt accomplished with swirling myself in mindless worlds of fictitious locations and aspiring relationships. But I digress from the main purpose of this blog...

I love books, so hence I love libraries and bookstores. I even was hired by both. Problem with working in both of these industries is that you really don't get the time to actually read. So that is why I never lasted at either position. I could (and possibly have) roam in a library for hours, which my family doesn't understand, so many topics, so many authors, so many situations.

One day while on my way to work, I was listening to the radio, flipping between the 2-3 stations I listen to and they seem to be playing the same songs over and over again and I felt like I was just literally spinning my wheels getting nowhere and finding that I wasn't doing anything more other than wasting my time away on dead air.

A few days later when I was in the library I happened to wander in the audio books section.

LIGHTBULB!

I looked at some of the authors I liked and found the library had some in their inventory. I have since listened to quite a few books on my travels to and from work. I have also learned that I can only get through about one book a week. Anything beyond that is wishful thinking and being a CD audio book junkie. This small idea even encouraged me to get my third library card and renew my other one that I hadn't used in several months.

While listening to the latest book that I am now on, I found how talented authors need to be. I always wanted to be a fictional writer when I was younger, but found I didn't have the creative pen to get it accomplished. Now I have always known authors have a talent, but beyond the stories they wield in their minds (and so many story lines) the capability to write so fluidly is beyond me. How authors have the knack of writing what would seem to be so inordinate in our own lives with such ease and be able to write exactly what we go through, down to the very details, whereas, us mortals wouldn't  even think anything more of it, but can relate to so easily.  How does one have the ability to run the perfect words together to form such imaginative scenes and grip the readers and help them to relate and feel connected to the characters? I have at one time gone as far as weeping so intensely that I had to explain to my students I wasn't really sad, but that the tears were from a book that I was listening to.

Most times, I dread the end of the book and I'm sure any avid reader does too. To end the story of characters who you can relate to, feel their emotions, relate to their situations is almost like an epilogue that you wish would last forever. You want to know how their story ended, you want to make sure that good always prevails and they will live happily ever after. So in the confines of the binding of the book you only get a (small) glimpse of your characters and hope for the best after you have turned the last page.

While on the subject of books. I have to say that I despise when they make movies from the books. I understand the book itself may take over the course of several months to several years, and that the average movie is around 1.5  hours long and that there is no way they could possibly put everything that was in the book in the movie. But when they do not stay to the context of the book (character traits, past events that were mentioned) it really takes away from what the author was trying to reveal in his story line. I always tell people, if you have the choice of reading the book verses watching the movie, my advice...Read the book.

My favorites? Anything from Karen Kingsbury and Nicholas Sparks. I have also read books from Frank Peretti, Bill Meyers, John Grisham, Robin Jones Gunn and Francine Rivers, just to name a few.

From one aspiring blogger, kudos to the accomplished writers. We'll let (and encourage) the creators of eloquently-put words continue to do what they do best. Write.

Conversation Life Support

When I was young, I was very shy. I was never sure if this was because of my biological heritage or if it was because I never had anything to say. Well after after so many years, I'm beginning to think it's the latter. I have a hard time holding conversations with someone. I have a hard time with small talk. To some, small talk is easy and maybe it is all they can really do, but for me, if I spend most of the conversation fighting myself with  "What can I say next?" I find that I'm not really paying attention to what they are saying at the time. Come on, there are only so many times you can ask about the weather or if they have gotten a haircut lately.

My youngest daughter and I are alike with this. We have friends, but it's a very small group and if we don't know you well enough, it could take ages for us to be able to sustain a meaningful conversation with you. This is even a problem with people we know. I honestly have to say I sometimes steer clear from people who I might not know that well, so that way I don't have to fight with myself on how to keep the conversation going. Now for those that I know are extreme talkers, I don't have worry about this battle. If in the past you have proven yourself a confirmed conversationalist then you are the person that I want to talk [listen] to. I might be able to interject a sentence or two but if I don't have to worry about where the dialogue will go, then I can fully enjoy a talk with you.

My husband and my oldest daughter are quite a bit alike. They are the social people in our small family of four. They could go up to strangers and hold meaningful conversations with them that could mean absolutely nothing to me and come out from it better people. One day I talked with my oldest daughter about my trouble with small talk and she offered the following:

1. Ask questions. She said that if you ask questions about themselves, it helps to keep the dialogue going.

2. Ending the conversation: Say something about needing to go somewhere or wanting to catch up with someone that you haven't seen in awhile.

Ending the conversation is an extreme battle that tortures me as well. So what happens if you're done talking and you want to leave the exchange? How awkward it is when they are done with you and they instantly go to another person to talk to and you are left in their wake. Or what happens if you are the one who is done, so how do you leave the person so they are not left holding the bag?

One thing that annoys me to no end is when you are talking with me and while I'm talking your eyes go elsewhere during the conversation. To me when I see this it makes me think that what I have to say is not important to you and that you need to probably move on to the next person because I am boring you with my speech. Sadly, if the other person's eyes starts to wander while I'm talking, I start to do the same thing. Maybe I'm doing this to let me know what they are doing or to show them that what they are doing is starting to offend me.

Wow, for someone who has a hard time keeping a conversation going, this blog seems to go on and on. Maybe I don't have a hard time keeping the conversation going with myself.