If I were to write a book I think that it would be somewhat like this one. Minus the divorce and depression. Both which I am eternally grateful to have never had, nor do I plan to have (I suppose no one plans to have either). How brave she is to write her intimate feelings where the world can see, readers can judge, and book clubs can analyze/scrutinize.
How how I envy her life. Some envy career women, some envy stay at home moms. I envy the footloose and fancy free lifestyle in which a person can travel world and learn a language. What I would give to leave responsibility behind and pursue pleasurable things.
How I have nothing in common with, nor can I identify with the authors beliefs in God, politics and some of her choices. I have no idea what it is like to have a forgiving body, and felt a bit smug when the authors pants no longer fit.
My favorite part in the Italy section is when she was talking about what word best describes some cities and people (pg 104). New York = ACHIEVE. Los Angeles = SUCCEED. Stockholm = CONFORM. (Which, for the record, I disagree.) I suspect people and their "word" change from time to time. My word? TORN. Just curious . . .what is your word?
I quite agree that the word that best describes an individual will change from time to time.
ReplyDeleteDuring my 20's my word might have been chaos.
During my 30's it would have been conflicted.
My 40's brought discovery.
So far my 50's have been leaning toward words like striving or driven.
My GOAL is to make my word PEACE. Not there yet, not even close. But that's the direction I hope to move in.
Ohhh. . .Follow up question that Belladonna inspired. What do you want your word to be? Mine? CONTENT.
ReplyDeleteMy word right now would be (wow, I'm sweating and biting my nails, like this is some huge commitment) SCRAMBLED. I don't know why, but that is the only word I could think of that sounds like me: muddled thoughts, going ten directions at once, stressed, chaotic, unorganized. What I wish for? SUNNY-SIDE UP. Just kidding. Kind of.
ReplyDeleteMy word is also peace.
ReplyDelete