Personal Post: Left Behind

It can be really easy to feel sorry for yourself sometimes. When all you can see of the road you're on is where you're standing now. I'm reminded,  in times like this, of the scene in Disney's Alice in Wonderland, where Alice finds a bright red path leading "home." She happily hurries to follow every twist and turn. Until she sees what looks like a dog, with a brush for a nose and a brush for a tail. She's stopped in her tracks because the dog like creature is brushing away the path! All the came before and all that comes after has been swept away, and all she can do is cry.

I feel like that right now. Like crying. Like sitting down on a rock in the middle of an audience of strangers and begging anyone to show me the way. What Alice lacked in that moment was hope, and it is hope I am finding difficult to hold on to right now. I know God has a plan, and I know that it is a perfect plan that I am a part of. But it sure doesn't feel like that when you can't see the path ahead of you. When all you can see is your life continuing the way it is now. And that sucks.

I love my family. I love my job. My freedom. But I feel like the kid who never grew up. The one no one takes seriously. The one who has no idea what it's like to be on her own. I've been left behind...

Reading with Kindle

Recently, a dear friend of mine bought herself a brand new kindle fire HD tablet as a birthday present. To herself. Haha. Her first edition kindle fire couldn't hold a candle to the sleek, high speed device. Apps outdated, run time too slow, storage almost non-existent! At least, those were her complaints. So! Being the wonderful friend that she is, she handed the older kindle down to me. I didn't have one, and had no other tablet to compare it to. I was so excited! I've been wanting an e-reader for years, ever since the first Nook was released. Well, this wasn't a Nook, but who was I to complain? It was free! I found the adorable case at Toys-R-Us in the clearance section for $7, and bought a new charger port for $5. Over all, I paid $13 for my lovely little tablet. Score!

Then Amazon introduced this thing called "kindle firsts" that basically put Kindle far above any other e-reader in my opinion. Basically, at the beginning of each month, Amazon emails you a list of four books that are not yet available to anyone else. You pick two, paying a ridiculously low price. For Prime members, the books are free! The catch? All you have to do is read at your own pace, and when you're done, write a short review. Basically what you thought and why. Very straightforward. And very worth two free e-books every month! 

But you don't need a kindle to get these great books from Amazon. All you need is the kindle app! I have one on my phone. It's great because it syncs with any other Amazon tablet or app you may have. So you always keep your place across devices. The other thing I love about this app is that it learns your reading speed based on how often you turn the page, and estimates how long it will take you to finish the book. I especially love this feature because it gives me a realistic idea of how quickly I can finish my ever growing stack of reading material and crank out new reviews. 

This is a great app for any reader with a tablet, computer, or smart phone. I highly recommend it with a high high 5 out of 5 stars! And if you have an extra $80 to spoil yourself with. Get a kindle paper white!! My personal favorite. You won't regret it.