Einstein's Dreams. Also, Anna's.

Like most people, I had to read novels assigned to me in high school English classes. And, like a LOT of people I bet, I had to read some REALLY boring books. I'm sure this will make me sound like a ding dong or uncultured or like someone who doesn't understand good writing or whatever, but some of those books were just BO-RING. (Last of the Mohicans, I'm looking at you. My mom actually had to threaten me to read that book one summer before school started again. And I love to read. For any young readers, the book is NOTHING like the movie, so don't even think about it.)

Although there were some assigned books that I will never read again, there were also several good ones. One that I think about a lot that I had never heard of before it was assigned (nor heard of since) was called Einstein's Dreams. I don't think I was expecting much from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised when I found it interesting and engaging.

To be honest, I don't remember everything that it is about, but there is one particular chapter that has stayed with me since 11th grade. (So, for a LONG time!) The gist of this chapter is, say a person goes into a room to practice playing the violin for three hours. In those three hours, that person would, in the course of playing his or her violin, think about a million different things. Thousands of thoughts would go through his or her head ... what am I having for dinner? Is my mother going to survive her illness? Do you think a peach tree would grow in my backyard? Just a million different thoughts going in and out of one's head. But (and this is where it gets good) if someone asked that person what they did that afternoon, they'd reply that they practiced the violin.

So even though that person spent hours thinking about all sorts of things, in his or her permanent memory, he or she spent a few hours practicing the violin today.

Isn't that so interesting to think about? I've always thought so. (Obviously, since I've been thinking about this since I was 16 and I'm almost 30. Thank you Ms. Ray!)

I think about this concept from time to time. I thought about it today, actually, on my way to dance from work. If anyone asked what I did today between 4:15 and 4:35 p.m. I'd say I drove from work in East Huntington to dance in Downtown Huntington. And although that is true, that is not the complete truth. Because I found myself, in that time, thinking about how I really don't like it when cars park near stop signs. Because if you're stopping at the other stop sign in the 2- or 3- or 4-way stop, you can never quite tell if that is a person at the stop sign who needs to go before you or a parked car. Confusing. I also thought about how old the earth is. Like billions of years. I can't even fathom what billions of years is. And how did we get from there to where we are today? And who can even count a billion years let along multi-billion years? And what is also mystifying is the Trinity. Like it's one God, but three things, but in one. So it's one God, but also God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. So one thing, but also three things, but one thing.

So there you go. There is a little taste of what it's like to live in Anna's mind. So the next time I tell you I spent Saturday reading a book or driving to the mall, you'll know, in reality, that it looks a bit more like this.