Months of isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic have made me realize how much face to face meetings with my friends mean to me. Since I can’t see my buddies, reading has become a passion. It already was! I read about 200 books in 2019 for fun, but the characters in the books are my new friends these days. Then there are the characters in the books I’m writing. I find myself thinking of them when I’m getting ready for bed, brushing my teeth, cooking dinner, or sitting on the porch watching nature.
This has got me thinking about some of the characters I’ve met over the years through books. People like Scout and Atticus Finch from “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Rima, the girl who could sing like and talk to the birds, in “Green Mansions,” Stephanie Plum, the hilarious and bumbling bounty hunter in Janet Evanovich’s series of over twenty-five books, and Stephanie’s partner in crime (solving), Lula. A serious attorney, a child, a fantasy creature, and two hilarious women. These are my make believe friends.
The world would be so dull without books to read. I can immerse myself in a story and let the rest of the world slip away. What would I do with my time without these stories?
What are you doing to survive this pandemic? Some people are working harder than ever and probably wish they had time to sit down and savor a good novel. Others have too much time on their hands. As for me, I’m eternally grateful for my comfy chair on my screened in porch. The perfect setting for reading a new story or enjoying my old friends in a book I’m reading again.
Stay safe and healthy my friends!
And as always, Happy Reading – Happy Writing
Photo by Brad Lloyd on Unsplash