Have Your Cake and Read It Too

I probably shouldn’t have had another piece.

Actually no… I just shouldn’t have, no “probably” about it.

But it was just a sliver… although mid-cut I decided I wanted a little more than a sliver and began to cut my piece at an angle, afterward gingerly gathering all the crumbs that landed as I changed my mind.  I believe in a “no cake left behind” philosophy.

How I came to have most of a carrot cake in my fridge is beside the point.  But I did. And it was my very favorite carrot cake so therefore resistance became futile.

With cake in hand, I returned to my chair and I sat there eating my “sliver” as I simultaneously devoured the words of a writer…

See, earlier that day I happened to pick up a book off of the floor, next to one of the bookshelves in our living room. A certain cute, little toddler I know found it amusing to relocate it and a few others…  As I went to place it back on the shelf I found the cover interesting and remembered hearing about the author.  And after purusing multiple glowing reviews of said book, within it’s first few pages, I decided it could be something for me.  For now.

By the time my children and over-worked and tired husband were all asleep and the house was still and quiet, I actually ignored the lure of my laptop and opened it’s pages.  What I found was something amazing.  Words that flowed and melded into sentences so well that they actually had me smiling with contentment at how fabulously they came together to tell the stories. 

Obviously I’ve read and enjoyed books before but for whatever reason(s) (kids, INTERNET, television, sleep) I have not made them a priority in my life as of late.  But as I tasted the cake in my mouth and felt the sugar dissolving into my taste buds, I began to remember also, how sweet books can be. 

How putting yourself somewhere else or in someone else’s shoes for a time anyway, can be a truly amazing thing.  Another form of escapism, as they say.  And yes, for a bit I found myself there with the author, telling the tales of his life while growing up.  I found myself quietly laughing at some of his anecdotes, while feeling a bit sorry for him all at the same time. 

I finished the cake before the book, although I finished it pretty quickly as well. 

I think I will see if I can make time for more books in my life.  I do enjoy “going away” for a bit, right here in the comfort of my own chair.  But I’m thinking that I probably shouldn’t start each one off with a “sliver” of cake…