The Perks of Being Nostalgic.

My weekend goal was to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower in it's entirety. It's actually only about 210 pages and the pages are smaller than a normal book, so it's fairly short. I knew it wouldn't take me long to read it, even though I'm probably the slowest reader in the land. No joke, I have to read every line in my head like I'm saying it out loud. I have to pause at the commas and read each line using expression and emphasis. It's just the way I process it, but it takes me much longer than the average speed-reader to cruise through a book.

Anyways, the book was fantastic. It was very well written which is hard to come by these days when recent best seller books are likened to that of Stephanie Meyer. It's always refreshing to read something that ISN'T a best seller because someone has an amazing publicist, no matter how terribly insulting the language and tone is to other writers. Not saying I'm going to write amazing books in my life, but I know good writing when I see it. And this book had some great writing.

I could relate to the main character in some ways. He very blatantly is battling depression over things he couldn't control and broke down crying at almost everything. I've been that person, and from time to time, still am. I couldn't relate to his central problem (no spoilers here) but it did make me nostalgic for past times.  Specifically high school, as that's where the story takes place.

I actually just visited with an old friend from high school a few nights ago and we did a little reminiscing and talking about how everyone we know is married now except us. Sometimes I still feel like that 17 year old girl who was just graduating from high school and scared to go to college and suffering my first heart break and going to prom with my best friend and walking down those halls one last time before never turning back.

The thing is, I don't think I'd necessarily want to go back to that time. It was hard enough the first go-round. But sometimes I can't help but think back to a time when I could not see the day I'm living in now. I couldn't even GUESS what the year 2012 would look like, and I don't think I had even ever thought that far ahead. I can't even picture what THAT Chelsea was thinking. All I know is, that Chelsea had a bunch of different priorities and goals and friendships than the Chelsea of 2012 does. It makes me wonder what the Chelsea of 2017 will be like. I wonder if she'll look back on today and still get that nostalgic feeling.

Anyways, while I'm feeling nostalgic, I thought I'd share some pictures of THAT Chelsea that not a lot of people in my life now ever met. Sometimes it's hard for me to even remember her. What I do know about her is that she was naive but she was happy. And she always had hope that good things were in store for her future. She didn't know the road between high school and now would be as hard and challenging as it was, but she knew in the end she'd come out ok. And she was right.

Short and sweet.

I made a promise to myself that I would write more once I got back from Yosemite. And it looks as though I haven't kept that promise - but I actually have, I just haven't published anything I've written. I just realized I have 5 or 6 unpublished posts just waiting for me to hit send. Unfortunately, I don't think I will. There's some things I think I'll just keep to myself.

For the sake of a quick update, my life has been a complete roller coaster the past few weeks. I've had some intense highs and some crippling lows. It's been a whirlwind for sure between my brother being in the hospital for 2 days and then leaving to go back to school in Seattle, discovering I have nerve damage in my neck from my car accident in June (AND that the insurance companies stupidly double-paid my hospital bills and left me with a $350 chiropractor bill), and closing in on 11 days until the launch of Renegades Write the Rules & dRU. I've had hardly any time to myself, but the good news is, I'm surrounded by some wonderful people and I'm learning a lot every day. I couldn't really ask for a better environment in my life at this time and I'm grateful for that.

I was reminded a couple days ago that the universe is on my side. When times get hard I tend to look to the universe for answers and I've been asking the same question for almost 10 months now. But I think I finally got my answer, and the answer is that I need to pause and learn to trust the process. Everything happens in its own time and good things happen to those who wait. Cryptic? Maybe. But it's good stuff.

Tomorrow is Friday and this weekend I plan on taking some much needed Chelsea time. My goal is to read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" - the entire thing, catch up on my sleep, and mentally reset. Good things are on the horizon. I've said it before and I'll say it again.. nothing brings HOPE like Fall.

And with that I say, goodnight.