i promise to limit my exclamation points to true emotion.

books and i, well, we've had our ups and downs. Growing up, I remember falling asleep as either my mom or dad read to me, but i distinctly remember preferring mom's reading over dad's, because dad, without fail, would fall asleep before the end of the third page. Now, i can completely understand the lull books can have, as i magically drift off into an easy sleep every time i open a textbook.

I used to hate that my brother could read faster than me. this meant that he was ready for the 'bigger' books. books like harry potter and eragon the dragon. you know, those 700 page novels that 7 year olds read, casually. So, of course, in typically third grader fashion, i veered away from reading, because i never saw that as my 'domain'. In the same way i quit soccer after my brother was awarded MVP (we were five/six, tops).

Doesn't it amuse you when people list out the books they've read like a trophy list? But here, i'll do the same: 2020 my goal was 15 in a year, 2021 my goal is 20 in a year.... i have recommendations, but if you're reading this blog you're already getting all the golden nubs.

i love reading 50 pages, dog earring, closing it, and looking to see how far i am through the book. i love stepping into a character shoes even if only for a few hours. i love that feeling of familiarity some books draw on, because the author can elicit the same emotions from their writing as you feel in your every day.

i love photography books, i love poems, i love self-development, i love novels. i think each genre has a time and a place, but its often difficult to even find that time and place in my own schedule. Sometimes the papers have to wait though- school is school, but these words are jumping off the page. let me catch them.

lately, there's been no better feeling than connecting with a friend over a piece of art. these authors are artists, and we are here to merely glean their word. oh lucky us!!

unrelated, but fascinating fact : girls use more exclamation marks than guys to portray the image of friendliness (!)

Thinking about the 8-10 emails I sent today. 90% of them had at least 1 (!). 70% of them had 2 (!). What warrants these (!)? Truly, I am not that excited about setting up a meeting, receiving a slide deck or going to AC training. (.)

Anyway here is the first result from the google search of 'do girls use more exclamation marks than guys?':

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190606-the-danger-of-overusing-exclamation-marks#:~:text=In%20a%202006%20study%2C%20researchers,friendliness%20in%20their%20professional%20interactions.

At this point, these post scripts are really just for me to look back on so i don't forget about these random thoughts, but listen to justin bieber's Off My Face. mmmm, yay, a new song for repeat.