Saturday, February 26, 2005

Books are a link to people

I have to share this story with you all. This past weekend John and I were on our way to Las Vegas after a two hour weather delay in the Sacramento airport. The flight was very full, people were a bit on edge due to the delay, and I was pissed because we had to check our carry-ons due to the fact it was such a full flight. My book and magazines were in my bag and there I sat with nothing but the SkyMall magazine and an America West publication. As people filed into the plane I smiled at the woman who took the seat next to me. She settled in, put on her seatbelt and pulled out a book. I noticed it was The Lovely Bones and mentioned I had read it also. The conversation soared from that point. As John dozed my new friend Phyllis and I talked about book after book. She is an executive for a pharmacutical company who travels a great deal and is in a book group also up in Sacramento and we compared the styles of our meetings, hosting the meeting ,etc. The flight attendant came by to offer us a drink/snack and noticed the book we were talking about and joined in the conversation as she served all the rows within earshot of us. Before I knew it we were landing in Vegas and Phyllis and I parted company. Her final comment to me was," I wish you were in our book group!" It's amazing what books can do!