Unbelievable, right? I read a whole book.  I read a whole fiction novel.  Seriously though, this is a little unbelievable because when it comes to starting and finishing a book, especially fiction books, the odds are usually against me because:
1) I have what I call "Book Starting Anxiety" and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this.  If a book doesn't hook me right away it's highly unlikely that I'll pick it up again.  Ain't nobody got time for that! 
2) I get bored.  If I a book doesn't keep me interested from beginning to end then I'll just be done with it.  My mind starts to wander and I start to make a pretty long list of the better things I could be doing with my time (a list I rarely end up completing anyway).  Then, a page later have no idea what I just read.  You've been there too, admit it.  How can I start a book and not know how it ends?!  It makes no difference to me if I don't know what happened to the characters because really, I lost interest a long time ago. 

Notice I said fiction book.  Typically, I tend to go for non-fiction books because I feel like they are "good for me" and a better investment of my time if it inspires me, teaches me something new, and keeps me interested.  Reading non-fiction books are like eating healthy food.  Like a non-fiction book, the healthy food might not be my favorite but it makes me feel like I am adding something good to my body (or mind), so I focus on the benefits of consuming it.  The last time I successfully read a whole novel just for fun was before I started grad school.  Honestly, my graduate program wasn't the world's toughest program but there was plenty of reading involved so when it came to reading for fun, well, that just sounded like torture.  That was about three years ago.  

Since that was years ago, that might explain why I am a little behind the times in reading a book that I heard people raving about for so long.  Gone Girl.  If this book could keep my wandering mind interested, then I have faith that a focused reader would fly through this thrill and enjoy every second of it.  Rarely do I find a book that I hurry home from work to read, or have to force myself to stop reading so I can go to bed at a decent time.   If you haven't read it yet, I recommend you do so soon! 


Note: I started this book back in April but Reason #1: "Book Starting Anxiety" got the best of me. A few months later I decided I would give it another shot, and I'm glad I did!  The fact that this book is going be a movie this Fall starring one of my favorite Hollywood fellas may have been part of my motivation to read it.  

While I'm not sure where this new blog of mine is going to take me or rather where I will take it, I just thought, "You know what, I'm going to try this.  I'm going to try something new.  Why not, right?  What is the worst that can happen?!"  At this point,  I can't say that the things I choose to post are going to have a common theme, but maybe someday they will.  Maybe some day this blog will evolve into a topic that I am passionate about, or maybe it will just be my random thoughts I want to share.  Honestly, I can't imagine anyone having the slightest interest in reading the thoughts that come to the regular ol' mind of this regular ol' girl, but when I think of what I enjoy reading about most it is the stories and experiences of everyday people living their everyday lives, because it is those individuals that make this life extraordinary.  

Starting a blog is a little nerve racking-- you're putting yourself out there.  When you do that you offer others the chance to criticize and judge you, your thoughts, and your ideas.  Maybe the judgement will be hurtful, but maybe it will be helpful-- maybe it will help me become a better writer, a deeper thinker or just a better person in general.  On one hand this can be fearful, but on the other hand it can be exciting.  That's the risk you take when trying something new; you can either fall flat on your face or you can soar.  Let's face it, our time is precious so if this isn't of interest to then don't waste your time here and invest your time where you find the most value for you.   If just one person reads this and enjoys it then that's good enough for me. 

Like I said, I'm not sure what this will turn into but that's the beauty of it all.  I'm just trying something new and am open to whatever may come from this.  Starting this blog with no specific theme is an example of how I live my life.   Once in an interview I was asked the common question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?"  I couldn't give a specific answer.  While I have goals and a vision for my life, I don't have a specific plan for how I am going to get from point A, now, to point B, five years from now.  Who knows what life will hand you.  Perhaps something will come along that will spark my interest, break my heart, or force me to make a change and veer me off in a different direction towards something I may have never considered had I set a structured path for myself.   Some might say this makes me sound aloof, but I disagree... and maybe that is "sneaky confidence."