#Reverb 10, December 4th

The Prompt: Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

Hmmm.... you know, my whole year was kind of about cultivating wonder. Wondering if I would ever be OK again, back to normal. Wondering if our relationship would make it through the rough times. Wondering if I would run out of money before I had bills to pay. Wondering if the job would be as good as it had been. Wondering if Matt would make the move.  But somehow, I just don't think that this is the kind of wonder the prompt writer was talking about.

Speaking to that kind of wonder... I finally started reading again this year. I used to be a VERY avid reader. When I was in kindergarten and first grade in England, my teachers didn't even try to keep me within the bounds of the reading curriculum. They sent me up to the library, showed me a section of books that was appropriate for my age, and let me run. All the way up until I went to the Naval Academy, I read anything I could get my hands on. Other than while I was on deployment, though, I really didn't read much for the last 12 years. There wasn't time, and when there was, I was too tired. I'd fall asleep immediately, and it would take me ages to finish a book.

Of course, there are some exceptions - I read all of the Harry Potter books, the last few within a week of publishing. I read all of the Twilight novels, just out of curiosity, and I read all of the Sookie Stackhouse books (except the newest one), just because I was in love with True Blood. And I've listened to several books in the car, which is good, but not quite the same.

However, this fall I bought myself a Kindle. And it's the best purchase I've ever made. And I joined a book club. And I'm ACTUALLY READING again. I'm getting lost in characters, and wanting to know what happens next, and feeling their emotion, and delving into things that are totally new and exciting and refreshing and scary and emotional. I'm thinking about stories, and I'm talking about plotlines and whether or not I like a character. And its absolutely amazing. I didn't realize how much I missed it. I feel like a kid again, and I really hope to keep it up.