I count books among my best friends and have since I became an avid reader at the ripe old age of seven.

I flew through all the popular series—Trixie, Nancy, Laura, and Anne. I lived in their worlds and wished I could visit them in real life.

I spent lots of time reading about Florence Nightingale, Candy Stripers, Cherry Ames, and Sue Barton…sigh.

I convinced myself that I’d work as a traveling nurse and fall in love with a dashing doctor. The adventures Cherry and Sue had sounded right up my alley.

I brought my obsession to life by convincing my mother to sign me up as a volunteer candy striper. Imagine my exhilaration when they called asking me to work one night a week at the reception desk.

Today on My Reading Life Malissa Chapin tells us about the stories she likes. Share on X

I sat through orientation as if my life depended on memorizing their every word. I slipped on that magic red and white striped dress every Thursday night and joined the older women in pink smocks at the reception desk. I was thrilled every time someone stopped and asked for a room number, but I secretly lived in terror that they’d ask for someone with the dreaded DECEASED across their name in the listing. Volunteers did not make that announcement ever. Should this unfortunate event happen, we had to call the chaplain. I knew that, but I also knew my face and stammering tongue would give me away in the event of this catastrophe. I breezed through all my candy striper days and never had to face that fear…phew.

Candy stripers had a station, but the reception desk candy striper got calls when other departments needed an errand run or help. My least favorite job was running samples to the lab, and I dreaded that call, but I planned to earn my one-hundred-hour volunteer pin, so I smiled and ran those samples to the lab.

The longer I worked, the more the volunteer coordinator trusted me. I worked summers in the medical records department—pre-HIPPA days.

I dressed in a mascot uniform for a fundraiser, and then I finally received the assignment I’d always wanted. The one in all the books…delivering water to the patients. My fourteen-year-old self grinned from ear to ear, patting myself on the back for finally getting the cool candy striper job. I loved every minute of that assignment until the day I walked in on a man in bed recovering from sort of surgery that required air to circulate around things that, let’s just say, this Baptist pastor’s daughter had never seen. I backed out the door quicker than a wink before the miserable guy realized I skipped his room with fresh water. I never told my mom. I knew she’d pull my volunteer job before I earned my pin. My eyes still pop out of my head and I blush when I think of that story.

I never attained the holy grail of candy stripers—the gift shop! I earned my one-hundred-hour pin, though, so it’s all good.

My life of imitating my favorite books ended the day I sat down with the head of nursing and asked about her career and education. My creative brain swam with the math and science requirements she outlined and right there in the chair across from her desk piled high with patient folders, my dreams of living the exotic life of a 1940s-era traveling nurse died. I didn’t let go of the dream of falling in love with a devastatingly handsome doctor, but he’d have to meet me at the music store or church.

I still devour splendid books and sigh at the wonderful storylines. I’d love to visit some of my favorite fictional places, but I don’t attempt to make my life match my favorite books anymore.

What about you? Did you ever try to do something you learned about in a favorite book?

Meet Malissa

Malissa Chapin has a heart for writing stories filled with humor, faith, and truth. She’s always adored reading excellent books and is tickled to see her childhood dream of becoming an author finally come true.

Malissa loves creating with words, watercolor, fabric, and yarn. You can find her in her garden, at the piano, homeschooling her bonus baby, or enjoying a coffee with friends.

She lives and sometimes freezes in Wisconsin with her family and a crazy cat.

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Learn more about Malissa at her BRRC Author Page.