Over Christmas break, I read one of the best novels I have read in a very long time: Marley and Me. Because of John Grogan's easy and entertaining style, I flew through this book and absolutely loved it. My family was amused as I would often laugh out loud while reading, and then I cried for over thirty minutes as I read the end. My affection for dogs and my family's enduring belief that dogs are truly members of our families also helped me enjoy the book, too, of course. However, there was something more than all of these things that contributed to my love of this book... its ordinariness. Marley and Me is novel about real people and their ordinary lives. As readers, we experience the Grogan family's life struggles and joys with them. I think we cling to this because most of our own lives are ordinary, and yet this does not make them any less significant or profound. Reading a book about an ordinary family and watching them walk through different stages of life reminded me of this and how much people do enjoy simply relating to others. Being a big detail person, I have always loved hearing details of others' lives, be that one of my friends or even just a character in a book. I also, of course, love sharing details when I tell stories. :)
As I reflected on these things, I remembered that I had a "secret ambition or dream" to one day write a book. Reading Marley and Me encouraged me I could write about everyday people and things. I think if I ever do write a book, I would attempt a children's novel. I've read a lot of them, I know what appeals to most elementary school-aged children, and they usually all have happy endings. It truly is just a far-off dream, and I'll still be quite content to die if I never fulfill it. Still, I'm trying to learn to dream big and be more of a visionary so perhaps one day...
Thus, I made a goal for 2009 that I would write more. (I don't make resolutions because I feel guilty if I break them; it's ok to break goals.) I thought having a blog would be a good way to write more so here it goes...solo deo gloria.
