Cours Saleya, Nice (2012) |
What are the things we can do
when we are distressed? If anyone asks me the question, I would suggest that he
or she could try reading, writing, dark chocolate or physical work out. Some form of physical exercise is always
a good way to elevate one’s mood as endorphins trigger a positive boost in
mood. That definitely works for me. Any form of physical exercise is usually
energizing. Whenever I hit some tennis or done some gym work out, the good
feelings remind me of why I have enjoyed exercising in the first place.
Both regular reading and exercise
require discipline. I find that settling into a chair and start reading is
never a problem. Through reading I have gained insights about humanities and
the world around us. Even if I cannot find answers or resolutions, I find
solace and comfort in reading. When these writers tell stories, they often
translate and share their views and sentiments about the world and help us
understand a little better about ourselves and the society we live in. There
are days when I slack off and rather stuck in my reading and writing, it is not
easy to get back to the mode of regular exercise. When it takes too much effort
to leave the comfort of the book that I happen to be reading , I do some yoga
stretches and standing poses.
The
Book Thief by Marcus
Zusak is about Liesel
a young German girl who sought refuge in books during the WWII in Germany. The
first book that she had stolen was the gravedigger’s handbook that she had
found lying in the snow after her brother’s funeral. Though she had not learnt
to read then, the book meant the last time she saw her brother and her mother.
To her it did not matter what that book was about but what it meant that was
more important. When her foster father discovered the book, he taught her to
read even though the book was hardly ideal text to start with, thus begins her
love affair with books and words. She read in the bomb shelter and also started
writing in the basement.
‘A
mountain range of rubble was written, designed, erected around her. She was
clutching a book.
Apart
from everything else, the book thief wanted desperately to go back to the
basement, to write, or to read through her story one last time. In hindsight ,
I see it so obviously on her face. She was dying for it – the safety of it ,
the home of it - but she could not move. Also, the basement didn’t even exist
anymore. It was part of the mangled landscape.’
The
Book Thief was narrated in the voice of Death who had picked up a
little black book that contained Liesel’s journal. On the first page, she wrote
“The Book Thief a small story by
Liesel Meminger”.
‘Yes,
often, I am reminded of her, and in one of my vast array of pockets, I have
kept her story to retell. It is one of the small legion I carry, each one
extraordinary in its own right. Each one an attempt- an immense leap of an
attempt – to prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it.
Here
it is. One of a handful.
The
Book Thief.
I’ll
show you something.’
The
Book Thief is beautifully written and its story tugs at your heart.
There are some days that things
irritate or worry me so much that
I find myself sitting on edge. Even if I try not to brood, I cannot shake
off the miserable thoughts that trouble me. One of the ladies who went to the
same fitness studio as me once quipped, “Perhaps I should get one of these
punching bags and install it at my balcony.” A punching bag that hangs in a
corner of your home sounds like a good remedy if we know how to punch and kick
……LOL. Personally I find that a good night’s sleep helps to calm one’s nerves
and anxieties. Sleep is absolutely necessary to keep the gremlins at bay.
A month ago, a friend became
extremely depressed and was incommunicative when he felt that something was wrong with him as all the
symptoms were familiar to him. It was déjà vu as he had experienced the ordeal
just barely three years ago. He now
has to go through all the
medical tests to monitor the growth of the tumor in his brain. He wrote that he had to accept reality and his
fate. He wrote: "Amor
fati" means love whatever happen to you cause you only experience it once.” According to wikipedia, ‘Amor fati is
a Latin phrase loosely translating to "love of fate" or "love of
one's fate". It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees
everything that happens in one's life, including suffering and loss, as good.
Moreover, it is characterized by an acceptance of the events or situations that
occur in one's life.’
It is terrible news that this friend has to confront his sickness and the challenges that accompany it.
Monaco(October '12) |
Monaco |
So often we are reminded of the fragility of
life and unpredictability of what it has in store for us, yet we forget that good moments and bad
moments are as transient as each other. Sometimes when things get tough and
there is no solution, it is pointless to get ourselves all worked up in our
head. Perhaps it is good to emulate Scalette O’hara in Gone with the Wind as she said “ I can’t think about that right
now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow.” I always remember
the line from the movie, “After
all tomorrow is another day.”
This book is on my to-read list; thank you for the review. Sending healing thoughts and prayers to your friend. What an ordeal. Our family has recently had some medical stuff to deal with. It can be scary and discouraging but all you can do is take each day, find the thankfulness in it, and get up ready to live-- thrive, not just exist-- in the next one. Not easy but worth it. All the best.
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