There’s something about reading a book. Actual prose with paragraphs and chapters instead of bullet points and Tweetable links and infographics. And even though I am reading Simply Tuesday on my phone, I am getting the experience of reading a book. Maybe not as fully as if it were a paper copy, with my phone in a different room and no other electronics nearby, but a mind-altering experience nonetheless.
When I read websites and magazine articles and emails and Facebook posts, I skim. It’s almost like grabbing fast food and eating on the road. It fills a purpose, but it’s not satisfying. Reading a book, however, is like a Thanksgiving feast. It transports me to a different world; one where I can savor the flavors of a bounty of ideas and chew on them at a leisurely pace.
Simply Tuesday is definitely written in a delicious style. When I was a little girl I would devour books like the local librarian had never seen. Mrs. Pat even let me take out more books than the official limit, because she knew I loved to read so much. When I dive into the pages of a book I am transported to another land. I can almost see, taste, smell, and touch the world that the author has created.
And so when Emily Freeman writes about putting a bench in the front yard, and sitting with neighbors and watching the stars, I can actually feel the summer breeze on my skin. I remember my childhood home, when I would swing in the backyard and almost touch the tree branches. In Chapter 3 when Freeman talks about going back to her hometown, I remember the town I grew up in. I still visit my parents every few weeks who live on the same road I grew up on (although a different house). And it’s funny, but when I remember those times, when I remember where I came from, it makes it easier to put down my phone. To remember to see God in the little things. To weed my garden and marvel that God makes things grow with little to no effort on our part.
Part 1 of Simply Tuesday is a good reminder to slow down. To notice the ordinary. I feel as though I’ve been invited in to a cozy home with coffee on the end table and cookies in the oven. It’s nice and warm, and while I enjoy looking at the knickknacks, I wonder how the conversation will turn.
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