There are thousands of blogs about books out there. Thousands! I wanted to call this blog "a blog about books" but the NY Times already uses that logo for their blog about books, Paper Cuts. (I guess I am way behind as far as blogging goes. I admit to being a complete novice--so there's hope that this site will improve as time goes on!) What's the secret to being "original" with words? Is there a way to think up new things, or to present old things in a new light? Has everything already been said? I don't think so. There are many ways of expressing things and many things that may be expressed in a new way (sometimes in a bold way, sometimes in a subtle manner, or somewhere in between). Does that last sentence really confuse you? Is that sentence a result of my tea intake? In order to help me write somewhat original posts, I rely on tea. Three cups of tea over the course of the morning help me to put my thoughts about books and reading into written form. At the very least, I hope I'll be clever enough to win your attention for awhile!As I have mentioned, I began reading Michael J. Fox's autobiography, Lucky Man. In the book, he is candid and articulate about his life. The title, Lucky Man, says a lot about his attitude and approach to life. Like Lance Armstrong, who battled widespread cancer, Fox sees his disease, Parkinson's, as a gift rather than an awful burden, at least at the time of writing this book, 2002. He doesn't complain about it but sees how it has changed his life for the better. I'm not trying to sell this book to you, but Fox has many interesting and inspirational things to say. Here' s something I want to remember from the book: in a humorous manner, he talks about actors going over scripts and how they only focus in on the size and importance of their own parts. Isn't this so true of us all in a larger context? His honesty draws me in; I also am learning about his world of auditions and acting and his life in general.
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Hi Susan, I have a minute during lunch to say hi. Although I haven't read these kind of books, I do appreciate the spirit that motivates the authors to fight their disease. I'm not so sure about their motivation to write about it, that's to sell books and make some (more) money. Oh well, part of being a celebrity, right? The question I have is, if I am blessed with good health, what battle should I be fighting? I'm not always sure of the answer! Love, Randy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting!
ReplyDeleteI don't think the motivation behind writing these books is entirely money-based. These people feel impelled to share their stories with the world, and why shouldn't they? Too many people feel ashamed of their diseases and try and hide them. Talking about them is a good thing, I think.
Does living require a "battle?" Perhaps it is just one way of suggesting a "purpose" in this life of scrambled destinies. One minute, I think I have a clear purpose, which of course will change from time to time, such as living life fully, serving others, learning new things, growing and adapting, and other times the randomness of the universe is overwhelming. I rely on a changing eyeglass perspective: for some books, the message is in short quotes, sometimes hidden in the middle of a story; and for others, the impact of the entire work is the message -- in form or content. I tend to like the quotes as one can move quickly from one perspective to another and still find some common or encouraging threads for surviving life. So, as to the "battle" to be fighting, perhaps it is keeping an open and creative mind. Kudos to you and your spouse. You're a special pair.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...I'm not sure I'm understanding all that you say, Sandie, but I do believe that staying open and creative in life are important "keys" to survival and happiness.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to embellish this post with your words of wisdom.
Perhaps celebrities are helping take the stigma out of coping with diseases and misfortunes (like Christopher Reeve's paralyzing accident) by going public with them and describing them in books. I also think celebrities are helping raise funds for treatment in many cases, which benefits folks with less stellar status. Forgive my muddy-minded comments. Sometimes my brain and fingers are not connected.
ReplyDeleteSandie, your comments are always well composed! : )
ReplyDeleteIn the case of Michael J. Fox, his foundation has raised awareness and over $120 for Parkinson's research (read the post "Out of the Blue" if you have time)!