I’m still reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I don’t think I’m so much a slow reader, but rather, I tend not to read until I go to bed. Occasionally I read during the day, on the weekend perhaps, but usually I have other things I’m doing so I find I’m reluctant to spare the time during the day.
Sometimes I feel embarrassed that people are thinking, ‘She’s still reading that book!’, and that’s interesting to me. Why should I worry about what other people think? Why would I imagine they have even noticed what I’m reading at all? But, it’s still there. The feeling of being criticized. Bummer.
Which brings me to the next book. Or rather, audio book.
Dying to be Me by Anita Moorjani.
I’m not really sure why I bought it except I’ve been wanting to get another audio book to listen to when I’m in the studio. Usually I pick books that I don’t really want to spend the time ‘reading’ but think I might enjoy. Two recent ones were, Shutter Island and Mystic River, by Dennis Lehane. I enjoyed both of these, especially Shutter Island and David Strathairn’s (Mystic River) voice is really nice to listen to …
Back to Anita.
I’m thinking hard right now, but, I still don’t know why I bought it.
I was probably having a ‘moment’. A, ‘help me someone, I’m falling’, day. Whatever it was, I bought the book and listened to most of it yesterday while making my latest piece of jewelry, … which I’m not sure I like.
See, another ‘moment’. I have quite a few of them.
I’m working on it …
I enjoyed listening about her (Anita’s) background, albeit, impatiently at first because I just wanted to get on to the dying bit. (I’m a little morbid like that which is probably why I have ‘moments’).
However, I got over that and started to relax into enjoying hearing about her culture, etc. In fact, as an aside, I love the whole Hindu thing. The stories about the deities, etc. Creation Myths, particularly, are some of my favourite stories – in all cultures. Thinking about it, I probably was a Hindu in another life, and Jewish, and a monk, and a witch, and a servant (which is why I hate housecleaning), and …
Back to Anita.
The connection here is the criticism. How, she (Anita) felt that her whole journey towards her premature death was because she had never allowed herself to just be herself. How she had molded herself on how she thought she should be because of external pressures to conform. That she came back from death and was completely cured of her illness when she finally saw that as we are one with the universe, we are complete. And we are loved because we are complete. And that she became ill in the first place as she was living a lie.
How in the world is it that we all grow up with this sense of having to be a certain way, or read at a certain speed, to feel that we are acceptable? (That’s a rhetorical question by the way as I know full well what my story is, what’s yours? … )
So, I’m listening to the book. I get exactly what she’s talking about. I certainly believe that – we’re all connected to the universe – stuff, and, before you start rolling your eyes, I am not one of those sentimental, new wave, pop culture people. I’m English guys, hello!
Anyway. Long story short, or, long story thankfully coming to an end, whichever way you want to look at it – I’m a little disturbed now.
I still don’t know why I bought the book. I get what she’s saying but now my hypochondriacal, woe is me, self, is really concerned that this, answer to everything, just wont work for me because I’m too caught up in being, well, hypochondriacal and woe-ish. That I’m one of those, I just don’t get ‘it’ even though I get ‘it people. Which probably means that I really don’t get ‘it’ after all. That I’m just being suckered (did I mention I was cynical also?).
I feel more worried now than I did before I listened to it. And, I didn’t even know I was worried in the first place.
So, even though I bought the audio book and don’t know why. Even though I (know) I get it but (feel) I can’t do it. Even though I somewhat believed I was being suckered but still listened to the thing. I think I’m going to stick with, The Secret History, for now, and just read about those kids in this book who are so screwed up that I’m relieved all I have to worry about are my ‘moments’.
Now, I am going to stop worrying about whether people think I’m a slow reader or not and finish the darn thing.
Baby steps people …
I do most of my reading in bed, too. It makes it hard to finish a book, doesn’t it? Audio books are great; we sometimes use them on car trips.
first, the jewelry here is gorgeous…secondly, if you are doing whats right and no harm to others we should never worry about what others think of us. This is something it took me years to learn, but there is such a freedom that comes once I got it…..wishing you a wonderful week!
enjoy *~*
hi posy 🙂
loved the turtle post 🙂
and thank you teresa 🙂
You left an amazing comment on my site about a post that resonated with you— I just read your post and I am pretty sure we are BOTH over thinking—I am not sure what it is but it is some kind of over sensitivity— I just read Anita Moorjani’s book too. The thing is — is that you can read it and go –Oh yah, cool, but everything we are exposed to that we are then drawn to does not have to become our truth—- and some part of us thinks it does. I am going to write a whole post on this— I keep listening to the most beautiful calls about such cool stuff but then they want me to join a group or take a class and pay for it and they are all based on me needed something that they have ( apparently) and I don’t? Anyway — I do some jewellery too, I love how free yours is. Looks lovely. Love from Cheryl
cheryl, yes, the book was good on many levels. i’ve just listened to the question and answer part where she says we all just have to let go and know we are ‘enough’ to be happy and to have everything we want. in one sense i agree with this totally, but, i can’t quite get it to fit in with the people who are starving to death in africa, for instance. yes i suppose it’s not that we should mind whether we live or die, because we are all just part of a whole, but what about the suffering of those in poverty. they’re pretty much stuck in an unhappiness that no amount of putting it out into the universe, or knowing that they are ‘enough’, will help. how can this be ‘heaven’ as she suggests, when there is that much suffering for those people unfortunate to be born in a drought ridden country.
i don’t know. i think you’re right, i do over think , but, i can’t help it 🙂
i’m still thinking about it 🙂