I started in the car. Then I continued in the hotel. Then on the stationary bike. Then on the treadmill. Then at the breakfast table. Then in bed. As in, back in bed. And that’s when Matt drew the line.
It was the first day of our official vacation. One week for ministry. One week for us. I was so exhausted after speaking four times at the conference and the week of traveling with Matt for the church plant, I collapsed when I returned to our host’s home. Literally, I plopped on the bed and thought about all the mistakes I made, what I should have said, what I could have done. I didn’t realize how much of my style of teaching would be altered by a translator, but I analyzed every sentence, every break, every session.
He shakes his head and asks me when I’ll pull my nose out of the book. Oh sho’nuff, baby. I reckon we need some lunch. MmmHmm, we do.
But my southern charm was useless on the second day of vacation when I returned to our hotel room, slipped into something comfy, and crawled back in bed. At 10:07am withThe Help cradled in my hands. Matt came in nearly chocked on his shock. What are you doing BACK in bed, he questioned in utter disbelief. He pulled back the curtain and pointed to the beautiful country landscape just outside our window. The din and chatter below our window at the cafe was a mix of laughing, talking, and eating. The sky was blue, drawing a perfect backdrop to the mountainous Austrian boarder. The church bell rang in the most inopportune time, creating a scene from The Sound of Music. And I—well, I—sat in bed with my book and told him reading was my vacation.
After reading for seven hours, I finally put my book down. Matt gave me one of those shocked looks again when he came back in the room to find me still in bed reading after his exploration of the city. I knew I should stop. But I had to finish. I just had to. Minnie and Aibileen and Skeeter were my friends know. I needed to make sure they were okay. I needed to find out if they finished their book on time. I needed to… lose myself.
A revelation occurred after Matt pried the book out of my hands so we could go to dinner. I lost myself. I lost myself in a story that wasn’t mine. And this wasn’t good.
To be continued tomorrow…
Thanx