Have you noticed?

I've been a little out of my element the last week. I've been posting wacky internet stuff instead of what's on my heart and mind. I guess I'm working through stuff internally, and not quite ready to put it into words. I think a lot of what's going on has to do with the job I just quit.

I realized while at that job that I was hiding part of who I am. When I drove in the parking lot, I found that I turned my radio down because I knew some of the songs I listen to would either offend or shock them. I found myself talking more about religious topics than I normally would. It was like I was not wanting to stand out and be different from the people I worked with. I can't live my life like that any longer. I am me! I don't believe in organized religion, but I believe in a Higher Power/Being (whatever you want to call it). I think religion in a personal thing and a personal relationship between a person and whatever Higher Power they choose to believe in. I believe people from all religions will be in Heaven (if there is a place we go after death and don't just start a new life cycle). I haven't figured out exactly how I feel about life after death, an after life, or reincarnation. I'll figure that out one day, but not at the moment.

In order to help me get a handle on me, who I am, what my purpose for being here is, and implementing that purpose, I have purchased a few books that others on the Net have described as "books that have changed their lives". I bought Flowers for Algernon, Angela's Ashes, The Alchemist, and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. I read The Alchemist, but I am going to read it again when I have more time to just concentrate on the book and the messages it contains. We will be taking a trip the week of the 30th. I'm planning on taking these books with me to read. I think it will be a perfect time for reading these books while Hubby will be in class during the days. I'll be in my own "class" of sorts.

Anyway...I'm such a nerd. It seems my hobby is, always has been, and probably always will be...reading. I met a lady at Walgreens yesterday. No matter what store I go to, I always have to check out their book section. So, at Walgreen yesterday, I'm looking at the books and a lady started talking to me about books and authors. Come to find out, she only reads books once. I tend to read books multiple times and keep them. In my family, the progression of books is that my mom reads it first, then my grandma reads it, then I read it because I'm the one that will keep it and will pick it up again for another read.

Anyway, in our discussion yesterday, I mentioned this to this lady. Her name is Frieda. I love that name. Anyway, she said she had a bag of books she was going to give her daughter (who is a mother of three and will probably end up not reading them but giving them away), so she decided to give them to me instead. I met her at Walgreens this afternoon, and she gave me two bags of books. I got 24 books from this lady. And they're of different genres which is great. I want to branch out my reading style. I've been stuck in a rut of reading romance novels for the past few years because they're easy to read when you don't have a lot of time and just want to relax. You don't really have to concentrate on what you're reading. So now I have 24 books in various genres that I can't wait to get into. Add to those the four books I mentioned earlier and I am on my way to a more serious book collection and expanding my mind. WooHoo! Can't wait.