I’ve always viewed reading as a chance to learn something new, explore new places, and time to discover the unknown. It’s a way for me to escape the reality of the world that surrounds me, so when I encounter myself in the pages of a book, it really throws me off.
I don’t want to see myself and follow myself through the pages. I don’t want to see my character flaws splashed for all to read. It’s unnerving, uncomfortable, and embarrassing.
Then, I realize that other people don’t see it as me. They read the character as the character.
But, I still can’t help reading myself in the mirror. I can’t help but be fascinated with tracing that steps I could take, trying on a different hat, pretending to be a better version of myself…or a worse version. Yes, it’s uncomfortable, but it’s also thrilling to imagine what could be if I took that step, made that decision like the character in the book.
It hasn’t happened often that I see myself so clearly in the pages of a book, but when I do I think there’s no telling what this life could hold.