OK, so I lied. There are a few more things that I want. Yesterday, for instance, I bought two books. Having quoted one of my favorite passages, the one from The Outermost House and having, in the processs of looking it up, discovered that the book had been recently reissued in paperback, I decided to read the whole thing. And as long as I was in that section of the bookstore, I happened upon Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert, by Terry Tempest Williams, one of my favorite authors, so I decided that I needed that, too. (For anyone who hasn't read it, her first book, Refuge, about the destruction of Great Salt Lake habitat as the water rises dramatically, in the year that her mother is dying of cancer in a land made more hazardous by weapons testing in the desert, is a beautiful and powerful testament to our oblivion about our relationship to the earth.)
Yes, I know. I need a 12-step program for book buyers. No question about it. I do want books.
But on the subject of larger items: one of the changes that I find happening as I age is that I am increasingly aware that things, things like houses and cars and clothing and lawnmowers and, yes, even books, require care. And I want to spend as little of my limited time as possible taking care of things.
I happened to have an opportunity to think about this when I went kayaking a second time in Florida. I've always enjoyed looking at yachts and imagining a life of luxury on the high seas, but now I also imagine the effort that must go into maintaining such a vessel:
Big Boat
A kayak, on the other hand, sleek and slim, can be loaded onto the top of your car, plopped into just about any body of water, requires no engine mainetenance or fuel, and insists that you carry as little as possible with you:
Little Boat
It isn't that I'd object to taking a cruise -- especially to Alaska, if anyone's offering. But I've been on cruises, and one of their most attractive features is that someone else takes care of things. In my own real life, I would like to extract as many of those things from my orbit as possible.
OK, I admit it -- I've caught myself in another lie. The truth is, I would like a kayak and a stack of books -- ok, several stacks of books -- to go along with my cottage on a puddle.
Walked: 3.5 miles.
3 comments:
AND you changed the name of your journal. Now we look like a book series (Midlife Matters....Coming to Terms With Middle Age.) Your title is a little more succint than mine!
Funny you should say what you did about taking care of stuff. I find that I'm actually interested in doing that for the first time in my life. When I was younger, and working full-time plus, I didn't have the time or the inclination to really KEEP my home. Now that I have the time, and I'm actually HERE more, I find I enjoy "nesting." Lisa :-]
They all sound like reasonable wants and I'm sure you will get them one of these days. I always thought sea kayaking looked like so much fun, I may have to try it one of these days.
"Yes, I know. I need a 12-step program for book buyers. No question about it. I do want books."
See that's the difference between us. You want books and I NEED books. LOL
By the way I am the captain of my 12 step book club.....in order to join you have to mail me 5 books and promise to mail a new one a month for 48 months. I prefer hardbacks.
~manical laughter here.
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