Today's song: Prettiest Friend by Jason Mraz
You know that song that goes "these are a few of my favorite things"? I think sipping on a passion tea lemonade, curled up in a big comfy chair in the corner of a bookstore, reading your new book should be added to the list.
I woke up today to an extremely dreary, gray and rainy day but I felt refreshed and wanting to do something. My older brother's birthday is coming up this weekend and I've been putting off shopping for a gift for him, partially because I am awful at gift-giving for my family. You ask me to think of a gift for some friend of a friend that I have never met and I could give you a million great suggestions. But when it comes to my own flesh and blood, I am a complete failure. So there I was this morning, racking my brain for some kind of solution to my problem. I thought of the generic things like shirts or perhaps another bow tie! But no, that just wouldn't do. My brother always gives the best gifts and I really wanted to give him something he'd actually enjoy. He's one of those people though that if they need something, they go and buy it for themselves. It's not like they'll say anything like "Oh you know what I could really use?". It just doesn't happen with him. So then I thought of things he enjoyed. My brother is somewhat of a jock but not the type you're probably thinking of. He's more of a rowing, running marathons, bicycle racing kind of guy. And then there's his most recent love - photography. And then it hit me - coffee table book! I know this may not sound like the most exciting birthday gift, but if you knew my brother, you'd know that he's weirdly into that kind of thing. Him and his girlfriend just decorated their apartment (it's such a perfect little apartment...so jealous!) so I figured, why not help them with accessorizing? That was my plan.
When I arrived at the bookstore however, I did not find my ideal book. I searched the sports section and came out empty handed...I wasn't about to give him a biography of Lance Armstrong. Then I saw a section that seemed to be chock-full of coffee table-like books. I scampered over and was disappointed yet again. By this point I was a bit worried that my brilliance was going to go to waste and I'd end up trudging over to the mall to buy him an unexciting, impersonal gift. But then, as I was walking through the discount section, a bright orange book with guess what? - A BICYCLE on the front cover happened to catch my eye! It wasn't a coffee table book, just a regular looking one entitled Bicycle Diaries. I picked it up and read the description and it was beyond perfect. It's the story of a man who travels all around the world (mostly Europe) and bikes as much as he possibly can along the way. I couldn't have found a better book! Especially considering my brother and his lady are contemplating moving to Europe within the next couple years. It was fate! I must admit, from then on I was doing a little shopping for myself. But then I got caught up in some strange miscellaneous section and found a book called Bike Snob. I started reading it and even I was enthralled with the jokes and illustrations. I felt so lucky, then! I had finally done it. I was finally going to give my brother a fantastic gift that I am absolutely certain he will love...he better!
I felt like I had conquered the world so I bought myself some Starbucks, found myself one of those overstuffed chairs tucked back in a corner and cracked open the book I had found for myself. I must have stayed there for at least an hour or so. It made me wish I was one of those people that lived in a small town with a home-y bookstore that I could just sit in all afternoon, reading books and keeping to myself. I've kind of forgotten how much I love to read, just for the pleasure of it. Everybody's so bogged down all the time at school with awful textbook readings or terribly boring novels for class that it completely takes the fun out of it. It takes the fun out of that moment when you pick up a new book, read the back cover and instantly just know it's going to be a great read. It even takes the fun of going to your local library and finding yourself a book, opening up the pages, and just smelling that distinctly library smell. I don't know about you, but that smell is heaven. (Technically) it's sort of gross I suppose but it reminds me of being younger and going to the library every week. I used to love reading. Maybe this summer I can rekindle the flame - with real books and not a Kindle. Haaaahaha see what I did there? I crack myself up.
Thanks for reading :)
Love,
Rachel
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