Everyone knows that we live in a world of instant gratification. The success of certain television shows is one example. Scenes from Downton Abbey are short and move quickly. People are fascinated with trying to "speed things up." Think of all of the technology in the world today that strives to make things "easier." (AKA quicker) From the minute we wake up in the morning, grabbing a "quick" shower" to a quick cup of coffee. Breakfast in the microwave, if at all. Dishwasher to quickly do the dishes. Quick commute to work. Quick lunch so we can do something for ourselves during that hour (if we indeed get an hour). And the particular activity, whether reading, chatting with co-workers, taking a walk or playing a game, must also be done quickly in order to return to work. Then home to quickly get dinner and quickly do the chores to get to bed and start the whole routine over again.
This is the dilemma in which I now find myself and I am intrigued at the fact that it took me so long to discover this about myself. I am caught up in that same notion of instant gratification. And I believe that this fact alone has caused me to postpone doing so many of the things that I had, in the past, so enjoyed doing.
Many of you knew me when I would spend hours making cards and putting together photo albums. I still have all of the supplies and they sit, gathering dust, somewhere in my home. Why? I so enjoy being creative and making something from various pieces of paper and such. So why have I not continued? I know. Because it takes too long to get everything out, craft, and them put it all away again.
I love to write. And some have even indicated that I am fairly proficient at it. But I want instant gratification, and since writing takes SO LONG, I just continue to procrastinate until I either move on to another idea for a story which I then start but never finish, or I lose patience with it altogether. Then I think, "Short story! Forget the novel - it takes too long." But that gets pushed aside for yet another idea for something-or-other. It just isn't quick enough.
I am finding all this new techie stuff, things to make my writing easier. Ways to get motivated to craft. But the technology designed to get me excited about doing things, just turns into another excuse to find another quick solution.
This might seem like mere ramblings to some of you, and for that I apologize. I am just tired of the rat race and look forward to slowing down. Honestly. I do WANT to complete some projects. I want to sit in front of the television and crochet mindlessly for hours. I want to stay up into the wee hours of the morning to finish a few pages in the photo album I started of my trip to Europe two years ago. I want to open up the computer and sit, sipping coffee, and allowing the words of my story to flower into a beautiful garden.
This shouldn't be difficult for me! I am a planner! I make lists! I formulate plans! Why can't I simply make this stuff happen? Why can't I just relax and take the time I need to complete something? Why can't I get past the whole idea of instant gratification? I mean after all, some of my fondest memories have come from those times where I did just that.
Maybe I will just make a list of all the things I need to stop doing. Maybe I will make a plan of attack. Maybe I will just stay home from work today and think about the state of my affairs. Nah! I need to be able to eat and afford all of the stuff that makes my life "quicker." Fun will just have to wait.
Until my next ramblings,
Petra
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
"The Second Chance: A 'Pride and Prejudice' -
'Sense and Sensibility' Variation"
by Joana Starnes
I just finished reading this book last night. It was one of those books where I knew it was coming to an end but I didn't want it to end. The author was kind enough to show what happened to the characters years down the road, but it was too brief. I wish I could have followed the story in as much detail as the actual story.
As you can likely gather, I truly enjoyed this book. It had me giggling. It had me crying. It had me angry and mostly I read it with a smile on my face. I enjoy alternatives to Jane Austen's work, but I have read some ill-written stories and it saddens me. This is NOT one of those books. I loved the way the author has taken the characters and done, at the beginning of the book, what it took Jane Austen until the end of the book to come around to. It satisfied that part of me that has always said, "They should be together now. I want to see what happens after they are together, not what happens until they get together." For I knew they would be together in the end. And the eloquent way in which she weaves the two novels together and intertwines the characters into one story...It is beautiful and makes perfect sense!
OK - so from here on out I may be revealing a little of the actual story and you may not want to read this if you don't like to know what happens in the book beforehand.
The story is about Fitzwilliam Darcy and how he realizes that his callous and rude behavior and words have affected the one person he cannot stop thinking about - Elizabeth Bennet. He learns that no matter how hard he attempts to push her out of his life with tradition, opinions of family, and manipulation of circumstances, his heart longs for her, knowing that she brings out the best in him. I absolutely love this concept! I mean, how many of us would find the best "match" for us if we looked beyond what society told us was acceptable and appropriate for us?
Anyway, I love the way jealousy is introduced and how it quickens the heart for another. Darcy hears of Elizabeth and Colonel Brandon (see how the stories mingle?) and assumes they are together. He is furious, not with them, but with himself for not having declared his feelings for her sooner and not "knowing" her feelings. He realizes that he never cared to know what Elizabeth was feeling and was only concerned with his own affection for her. His love for her begins to blossom, I believe, at this point because he begins wanting what was best for Elizabeth, ready to put his feelings aside to honor her wishes.
That is just one instance in this book that I felt completely drawn to because the author does such a fine job in conveying the beautiful love story between Darcy and Elizabeth in the style and fashion of the original Jane Austen novels. I hope that you have gained a little insight into this book and will decide to pick it up for yourself and delve into the serene life of purity of "The Second Chance: A 'Pride and Prejudice" - 'Sense and Sensibility" Variation and come away with a sense of hope in this ever-changing world of ours.
Until I find the next book to read,
Petra
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Language is a odd thing. I mean, seriously! Have you ever been to a foreign country? Try and understand what they are saying when you ask for directions in English. Try and ask for directions in their language. Sign language helps, true. But what if you want to ask where the nearest bathroom is? That might be a "wee" bit embarrassing.
This morning I got to thinking about communication. The whole premise of good communication is based on the fact that the people involved speak the same language. But the problem arises when we assume everyone speaks "our language." And of course, they don't. And I am not talking English versus German here. I am talking something deeper. Something more substantial. I am talking about the language of the heart. The way we communicate our deepest fears and thoughts.
I honestly think that one of the most hurtful things in this world is when we share a special feeling or desire and the person we are speaking to completely misunderstands and misconstrues what we have just said. It is hurtful and we must make a decision. Either we must keep that thought to our self from now on OR we must learn to speak that other person's language. The deciding factor, of course, is whether or not we want to make the investment in that person to learn their language, isn't it?
This concept is getting more and more relevant to me the closer I get to marriage. That will be "the day" that will set the communication process upside down for me. Oh, sure, we talk all the time. And about some very difficult subjects. But right now there is time to actually THINK about what we say before we speak. What happens when I get very annoyed at the fact that a particular chore wasn't done - to my satisfaction? How will I communicate that without alienating my husband? What happens when my moodiness rears it's ugly head and my husband needs to set things a little "straighter" - without making me take a cast iron skillet to his head? It's called communication, isn't it? And not just what we WANT to say, but what language the other person speaks.
I sit here at my desk looking at a picture of my sweetheart grinning at me. I want to learn how he thinks. How he processes things. Just like I want him to do the same for me. But it IS a struggle to learn a new language. It's difficult to understand what shapes another person when we truly haven't figured out what has shaped us. But then I think about what the scripture says, "...as far as it depends on you, live in unity one with another." Well, it looks like I will be learning Gerald-ese real soon. I just wish there was a Rosetta Stone course for that!
Until next time,
Petra
Sunday, July 6, 2014
A Little Book Review
OK - Yesterday I told you that I was reading this book and that I was almost done. Well, I did actually finish it, And as with any of the books I have read by Emily Giffin I am impressed.
Here are some of the reasons I so enjoy her writing:
1. She writes in the present tense. I wish I could write that way and do it as well. For those of you who are not sure what this means, it's difficult to explain. Let's just say that that she writes as if the action is happening now. Not as if there is a narrator who is telling about what happened. Emily is one of the few authors that writes this way and I thoroughly enjoy it - probably because I know how difficult it is to write that way.
2. She does not use gratuitous sex to draw the reader in. She uses imagery and romance to get the reader to fill in the necessary blanks. And that is exactly what a good writer should do.
3. She has just enough characters to make the story interesting. One more and it would be confusing, Fewer and it would be just plain dull.
4. She tackles the things most women think about but rarely voice. Issues like "If I am in love with my best friend's man, should I pursue him and risk the friendship?" OR "If my husband has an affair, should I leave him or forgive him?" And she tackles these issues in such a way that the reader 'feels' for each character, understanding their thought processes. And she, in my opinion, does a wonderful job in resolving each relationship.
I have come away from each of Emily Giffin's books with a new perspective about life and relationships. This one, "Heart of the Matter" is no different. As a believer, I know that many of the topics in these books are "sin" but at the same time they are "human." This book has me thinking about the value of a marriage. Each marriage has its seasons and we can be excited, bored, or just indifferent. Each season brings its challenges and we need to take it for what it is - part of marriage. And there should be nothing that separates us. Do we fall into temptation and sin? Occasionally we all do, don't we? Some sins are more evident than others, but sin is sin, right? But is there anything "unforgivable"? That is the million dollar question, isn't it?
If Emily Giffin, a writer who I don't believe to be a Christian, can see the value of forgiveness, not having accepted the forgiveness of Christ, then shouldn't we, as Christians, be the role model and show the world what true forgiveness truly looks like? I deal with the topic of forgiveness on a daily basis. Those of you who know my story understand that. I wish that my children and ex-husband could have extended to me the forgiveness they had been shown by others. If they had, then we could have been an example of how divorce can hurt a family but not destroy it.
I think I am going to have to take a break from Emily Giffin for a little while and let these thoughts marinate a bit. I don't want to get too overwhelmed in my though processes. Maybe I should read a little Stephen King to frighten me back into my shell.
Thanks for reading my thoughts when you could be doing something more adventurous, like exploring your own psyche. Because yours is probably way more fascinating.
Petra
Saturday, July 5, 2014
I Likes What I Likes
Dear literary friends,
And what did I do right after I read it? I picked up a book that I have been wanting to read and just dug my heels in. It honestly wasn't difficult because it was something that I actually enjoyed reading. I will finish it here in a few minutes. But my point is this...I wonder sometimes why I bother reading all of these lists "Best Summer Reads of 2014" or "20 Books Every Writer Should Read" or "Literature that Everyone Should Take Time to Read". I get all these lofty ideas and then take a look at my TBR stack and think "When will I ever find time to read everything?" I bought "The Book Thief" after it came out and it took me MONTHS to get through half of it! It was boring and dark and I just couldn't stand it! Many people rave about the book, and now the movie, and say I should give it a chance. Really?
Do you want to know what I think? (If not you don't have to continue reading.) I think that a reading list is as unique as each individual. And nobody should "recommend" books that they enjoy, suggesting that EVERYONE will enjoy them. It is unfair, really. I mean, what I read makes me intrinsically "me" and I shouldn't kowtow to the whims of another reader. Should I? I don't have to read ALL of "The Book Thief" to know that I will not like it. I don't have to read the Harry Potter series to know that I will not really enjoy the plot at all. I am not saying that others shouldn't enjoy it. I am just saying that everyone will not enjoy it. Is there anything wrong with that? I was given a book by Terry Pratchett to read from my fiance because he wanted me to "expand my mind." I gave it a try. I didn't like it at all. I don't think I made it through the first chapter. Does that make me Stubborn? Resistant to change? Close-minded? Ignorant of what is good? I don't think so. I just know what I like and what I don't like. I don't need to finish a book to know if I don't like it. I mean I don't have to finish a bad meal to know it's 'bad'. I know it will be bad from the first bite!
My shelves are packed with famous authors whose books I have never read and I have heard they are awesome: James Patterson, Tom Clancy, Stephen King, John Grisham, and Nora Roberts. All were recommended to me because I love Mary Higgins Clark. And I have most of her books so that I can re-read everything. But there just isn't enough time in the day. So I will be content to read what was popular many years ago or what was free on my Kindle. I am sure I will find a niche that I will love, as I already have, but until then I refuse to accept any more recommendations. I will just keep adding books to my TBR stack that look appealing to the eye for some reason or another. That's how I will express my ignorance!
Apologizing to my reading friends,
Petra
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