Monday, January 19, 2009

Have You Been to the Library Lately?

I am currently loving the library. I think it is awesome that our country thinks reading is so important that they fit the bill to make books available to everyone. Our Edmondson branch isn't quite as exhaustive as Amazon.com but with a simple form I can request any book. I am currently in line for 8 books and I can't wait for them to show up.

I know you are thinking, have I never used a library before? I'm very aware I'm talking about it like it is a martian that just showed up in our lawn. But, you know that feeling when you leave $20 in your jeans pocket and then the next time you wear them you find it and it feels like you just made $20? It's something like that.

Anyway, I got A Man Without a Country on one of the 3 trips to the library last week (that's right three trips).  It took all of 2 hours to read and I think it was worth every minute.  It felt a bit like something that I would have been required to read in college and although I don't agree with all of his ranting I do think he made some really good points. I love the challenge of sifting through the information in a book and using my brain to decide what I agree with instead of just reading people who think just like me.  I think stretching is how we grow as people.

My favorite part of the book was excerpted here but I also enjoyed his talk about marriage.

"Why are so many people getting divorced today? Its because most of us don't have extended families anymore. It used to be that when a man and a woman got married, the bride got a lot more people to talk to about everything. The groom got a lot more pals to tell dumb jokes to...

But most of us, if we get married nowadays are just one more person for the other person. The groom gets one more pal, but it's a woman. The woman gets one more person to talk to about everything, but it's a man...

A husband, a wife and some kids is not a family. It's a terribly vulnerable survival unit."

Oh yeah and I also picked up the Pilates for Dummies DVD. Like I said stretching is really important.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Very cool. I just got an e-mail today from the Nashville Library saying that "Scratch beginnings : me, $25, and the search for the American Dream" is ready for me to pick up. I get the 1st one b/c nobody had requested it. I got on the list early and when Nashville ordered it I get to read it. Way better than paying I'd say... The problem is, I'm still in the middle of reading "A Sense Of Urgency"... guess I need to be a little more urgent about finishing.