The Book that Changed My Life

(From chicagonow.com
by Fern Ronay)

Once upon a time,
on the island of Manhattan,
two young, professional women took a lunch break.

They sat outside, on the steps leading up to the World Financial Center,
eating take away sushi.

They talked
and talked
and confided
and commiserated.

"I can't explain it. I don't feel like this is my life's work," the one they call Ferny said.

"It's not ... fulfilling?" JS responded.

"Yes! That's exactly it. It's not fulfilling."

JS came to work the next day and handed Ferny a book (I have no idea why I'm telling this story in third person. It's just coming out that way).

The book was Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus.

(I'll switch to first person now.)

That night, in my studio apartment, I read this 160-page, black, white and yellow-illustrated book and cried.

Honestly, I cried. There, alone, with this book. Big tears.

Why?

I realized I didn't want to be a caterpillar anymore. I didn't want to just crawl around and eat leaves. I knew there had to be more.

But I also knew climbing the tower of caterpillars wasn't the answer. Secret revealed: There's nothing at the top.

I had to become a butterfly.

I signed up for a personal 'career coach.'
I signed up for an on-camera news reporting class.
I signed up for a novel writing class.

Now, sometimes, I think I'm a butterfly. Other times, I think I'm still in my cocoon, transforming, but I'm close. So close!

Either way, I'm not a caterpillar anymore.

Are there any books that changed your life?

~~~
In the spirit of Stop and Blog the Roses, today, I am grateful ~
to my friend, JS, for listening, for the book and for being a wonderful friend. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

And to Trina Paulus for writing Hope.
You can nominate Hope for the Flowers to be the one book every NJ teen reads .here

~~~
What is Stop and Blog the Roses? If Sex and the City and Chicken Soup for the Soul had a love child.
Check out other recent entries here ~
My Rosetta Stone on how to talk with a New Jersey accent
Have you ever gone to church and then told someone to F themselves? Me too!

Follow me on Twitter @FernRonay and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FernRonay

Thank you for reading!