Social Icons

Pages

11 July 2010

Eat, Pray, Love Book Club - End of Eat Discussion

Having finished Italy discuss what the first phase of the journey has been like. Something fun could be that in Chapter 33 while sitting in an outdoor cafĂ© in Rome, Gilbert’s friend declares that every city—and every person—has a word. Rome’s is “sex,” the Vatican’s “power”; Gilbert declares New York’s to be “achieve,” but only later stumbles upon her own word, antevasin, Sanskrit for “one who lives at the border.” What is your word? Is it possible to choose a word that retains its truth for a lifetime?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I felt inspired.  I related so closely to Elizabeth's fears and insecurities, that I started remembering mine so wholly, I started crying, literally, for my losses.  I however, felt inspired to change my sadness.  Now, I know I can't move to Rome to change everything, the military doesn't exactly let that sort of thing happen.  But I know something's gotta give.  I can't run around with this deep depression clinging to my back, creating a super massive black hole in my center.  One that I am just realizing I have been caking over with cement in hopes it will go away. 

Now I apologize for my seriousness, but that is how this book is effecting me: seriously.  I feel very connected to this book, as I have spoken about in our previous discussions.  However, her words are not only a reminder of my pain, they have made me realize how beautiful life can be.  One of my favorite things about this book is how she describes things in such detail.  Such as this:

"There I approached a tiny vegetable stall with one Italian woman and her son selling a choice assortment of their produce - such as rich, almost algae-green leaves of spinach, tomatoes so red and bloody they looked like a cow's organs, and champagne-colored grapes with skins as tight as a showgirl's leotard."

You can see these things as clearly through her words as if you were standing at that same produce stall, picking out your own food. 

So now onto the "picking a word" part.  Hmph.  One word.  Just one?  Maybe this: curious.  That is the trait that sticks out the most to me, and powers most of my endeavors.  Not sure if it's as powerful as "achiever", but it works for me.  If I had to just pick one, that is.  I'm not sure if it'll last a lifetime, as experience sort of shuts down curiosity sometimes.  But I am pretty sure I've always been curious.  :)

Anyhow, I lovelovelovelove this book.  Can't wait to see what lies ahead in the Pray part.  Happy Reading!!

---Charlie

3 comments:

  1. I love that quote! I can't help but grin when I think about little showgirl grapes in their leotards.

    As for moving to Italy and the military, my dad always seemed to have a little bit of sway in where we ended up. Obviously, we could only go to SAC bases, and we never left the continental 48, but he always seemed to work it so we continuously moved closer to family. Of course, the last time we moved before he retired I was 11, so I have no idea how he did this. Anyway, I don't know what unit you're in, but can you influence where you go at all? There is(are) base(s) in Italy :)

    Once again, I think that's the romantic Sicilian in me, and I know life's not that easy in reality.

    I know it's hard to have something crash through all of those defenses we set up to guard ourselves from our own pain. I'm still struggling with the loss of my dad two years ago. But feeling the pain is good. It's healthy, and it's helps us grow. I don't know what you're going through or what you've walled away, but I;m glad that you have such a profound connection to this book. I'm rooting for you, and if you ever want to get things off your chest to someone who's 100% emotionally disconnected from events, you can always send me an email.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Like you I am seriously feeling this book. I was floored when she was talking about her two friends, been there, hung out with them myself and I feel with her, I have never just been alone to relax either. I have no idea what it would be like to wake up and not have a million things planned or have people waiting for me to do something for them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sounds like a very heavy, but very good book!

    ReplyDelete

 

Hit Counter

hit counter

Sample Text

1.