Just Turn the Page Already!

I'm in the middle of a rather good book right now... the kind of book I like to call fluff fiction. It's a feel-good sort. The characters are young and lead interesting lives in faraway places like NYC and LA, and it's a sure-fire bet that everything will work out peaches-and-roses by the book's end. However, as I was reading today, I came across a part that I just knew was leading to trouble. I mean, you just can't accept a private meeting with a ruthless woman who just lost her role on Broadway as a leading actress to you and not expect anything good to come out of it. Right? At that point, just as my heroine confirmed she would be at the appointed place and time, I closed the book. Why must these things always happen? I know it's a trap of somekind... some how, some way, that jealous old woman is going to find a way to ruin things for my favorite girl. I just had to close the book and prepare myself for the worst.

Sounds crazy, doesn't it? I have no doubt that by the time this story is finished, my girl will have prevailed over any devious plot that a jealous, vindictive woman might have planned. The very fact that I needed a mental break before I could continue got me wondering about my own life. That whole close-your-eyes-tight-because-you're-afraid-of-what-you-might-see image came to mind. If my life were a book, would I have already closed it due to fear of what the next page might reveal? Do I approach my life the way I approach a book whose plot is making me uncomfortable?

Needless to say, I did open the book up and continued to cautiously read. I still don't know what that meeting was about (although subtle hints lie along the way suggesting not-so-good things), but what I do know is that my heroine has just been offered the job of a lifetime AND has found the potential love of her life... all in just a few short chapters. If I hadn't had the courage to push through those feelings of doubt and gloom, I would have missed all the feel-good stuff that makes me love fiction to begin with. Oh, I'm sure the evil witch will rear her head before it's all said and done, but I think I can handle it knowing the ending will be worth the drama.

As for me and my not-so-fiction life, am I willing to push through and see what the next chapter holds? Life is full of drama without any additional story lines, but something tells me the end result will make the ride worthwhile... if I can keep from putting the book down and hiding my eyes.