Bridges

I have been thinking a lot about what my obsession with books is. Not only am I usually reading 3 at a time but my "wish" list continues to grow faster than I can buy them let alone read them.

Currently I am reading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith. I love Francie and her perspective on life. I really like seeing the landscape of her neighborhood and what all of her surroundings mean to her symbolically. Anyway, I have been reading it rather slowly just so I can enjoy every nuance and every change she goes through.

This weekend I read "Bridge to Terabithia" because I want to go see the movie today. The previews were pretty cool and reminded me of what I like about "Neverending Story" so hopefully it will hold up to the book at least. I cried for half an hour at the end of the story. I needed a good cry but also I really connected with the character and felt his pain. There is something to be said for the perspective of children and their belief in magic, role playing and life outside of the physical realm. I love the kingdom Jess and Leslie created in Terabithia. I love that at first Jess wasn't able to let go and believe in this royal kingdom but by participating and not giving up, he eventually saw the magic, believed in the spirits and incorporated them into his world. I am such a realist but wish to be more imaginative so this book and hopefully the movie, will remind me of what it was like to be open to other worlds.
I'll let you know how the movie is, that is if I come back to the real world....

I came to one conclusion about my obsession with reading, books are bridges. They are bridges to other books, other authors, other worlds. We stand in the spot where we are physcially at any moment in time but by opening a book, we can be someone else, somewhere else, places we woudn't believe existed in our world right here in this spot we stand in. All I ask is that I am open and willing to see the bridges in front of me and that I have no fear in crossing them.