I started reading “A Story Like the Wind” and was hooked me with the tale of a fourteen year old boy growing up in the early 1900’s on his family farm in the heart of wild South Africa. The savage unsettled land is filled with wildlife, African folklore, and an earthy spirituality that carried me far away from traffic, work, and paved streets. But I sensed more than just a story and felt that there was something to this author. The spirituality of the African veld, the intimate details of people and animals, and the compassion of his characters suggested to me that Laurens was more than just a South African who, himself, had grown up in the early 1900’s in rural South Africa.

The wiki entry for Laurens secured his spot in my eyes as one of my heroes;  author, farmer, war hero, journalist, humanitarian, philosopher, explorer, conservationist, prisoner of war, and one of Carl Jung’s closest friends. He fought for equality. He searched for truth. He won the hearts of British Royalty (not that I think that’s any more important than the hearts of the rest of us…but it sounds impressive to put on paper). None of this surprised me, his writing voice had already told me as much. After researching his life, it sounds like he struggled in his romantic relationships and may have made several poor choices in that area. I like my heroes to be stalwart, loyal, and dedicated to their partners but it’s hard to know the circumstances and details of his life and impossible to judge. His good works are plentiful and I am keeping him on my hero list.

This book fueled my imagination, tapped into my own dreams, and helped stir my sleeping (and often skeptical) spirituality. He has several more books I look forward to reading, including his personal account of the life, beliefs, and methods of a tribe of African Bushmen he was privileged to live among for a while.

The Twilight craze has spread like an unstoppable virus. Spread either by airborne sound waves or by computer, where countless blogs and chat rooms buzz with an addicting blend of romance and fantasy. The power of these stories astounds me. Nearly every woman in my life (wife, daughters, sisters, sister-in-laws, mother, friends, niece’s…) has been pricked by its allure (the teenagers especially). I was curious as a writer and a parent. So far I’ve read two of them.

I rolled my eyes a lot…too many references to “dreamy eyes” and “perfect skin” for my level of testosterone. But, I kept reading. Stephenie weaves a good tale and I found myself intrigued, although I would have been happy with a less oogling. But, I know that’s part of what the females love about it. I’m not quite the demographic.

I’ve read many books on writing, studied the rules, and tried to learn the craft of writing. In fact, I rewrote my book to fix a particular “problem” that I was surprised to find plastered on every page of the two of hers I have read. Based on what I have learned about writing, the books (word by word) are not written well. But before you all flame me for saying that, let me qualify that statement with this: I’m an unpublished author that can’t get signed and she’s a multi-millionaire superstar author. I thought they could have been better written, but I’m going against millions and millions of readers. Obviously I’m the one off base. So it makes me wonder, why have I spent all this time trying to learn the rules? Who made them and why? In the end, they obviously don’t matter and maybe by focusing on the mechanics I have lost a connection with my muse. I did think the storyline was well done. The events, characters, the tension…no complaints there.

Stephenie was named one of the most 100 influential people of the year by Time Magazine. The important question is, how is she changing people? What are people, primarily teenage girls, learning from her stories? A passion for reading? Yes, and that is excellent. A fuel for imagination? Yes, another good thing. Books are a staple for growth, especially books like this that have controversy and generate passion. But at the same time I have seen the extreme obsession that teenage girls show for Bella and Edward and I have a few concerns. Not necessarily huge concerns, but for girls who read the book and don’t analyze and discuss certain issues, I think the influence could be harmful. Those who examine themselves and the reasons the books are so captivating, I believe come out wiser and stronger.

Orson Scott Card, in the Time magazine article, makes an excellent point.

“You really want your teenage daughter to live inside the story of a girl who lies to her parents, invites a boy to sleep in her bed and trusts him not to take advantage of her?”

If this statement makes you angry, maybe you are just the type of person I’m concerned about. I think we have a book with adult themes but targeted for young girls. Girls who read, enjoy the story, and can point out mistakes made by Bella have quite likely grown and become stronger. Stephenie has influenced them for the better. But what of the teenagers who read a statement like this and become defensive and angry? Does that mean they condone such actions? Would they trust a potentially dangerous person in real life? Would it make them more susceptible to indulge in dangerous activities or to seek out the same thrills and adventures that Bella encountered? Things worked out for Bella, but in the real world these activities will more often lead to disaster. Girls need to realize this, think about it, and remember that it is fantasy. Just like my son needs conversations about the violence in the video games that he plays, my daughters also need a frank discussion. This is a romance novel. It’s pretend. Have fun reading it.

Romance novels present extremes. We have a classic fairytale, damsel in distress rescued by knight in shining armor. Bella spares nothing when it comes to describing Edward’s beauty. Not even a perfect man, he’s beyond that. He’s superhuman and immortal. He has powers way beyond anything Bella has ever imagined and she is quickly sucked into a whirlwind of adventure and romance that exceeds what a teenage girl will ever experience. But do our teenage girls realize this? Most probably, but even then, it effects them. Not only is Edward beyond the reach of any competing mortal, the other boy after her affection also possesses superhero strength and abilities. Even number two exceeds reality. With that as a standard, how could Bella ever be happy with Mike, a normal boy at school? Is it possible that some of the passionate young readers of this book could have altered expectations that might make future relationships troublesome? How can any real person compete with the excitement and romance offered by the world of Twilight? For girls who are mentally and emotionally stuck in that world, I think it could have an impact on their real world relationships. It could influence them to make poor choices.

Young readers should be encouraged to talk about how aspects of the story are far-fetched fantasy, and I don’t mean the vampires. Media taints our view of relationships all the time, this is nothing new. But what is new is the level of passion this trilogy has generated in young readers. If this book is used as a tool to spark conversation and discussion, it can have a very positive effect. My concern is for the girls so enthralled that these ideas are met with anger, rationalization, and a quick defense. And from my experience, knocking anything Twilight is like handling plutonium. Get ready for the explosion.

Bottom line, the books are excellent, obviously. Use them as tools to explore the reality of relationships and sexuality. If your kids are sucked into this world, I suggest you read the books too. And don’t try and keep the books from them, no need for that. They are going to read them anyways reglardless…and if you fight them, you’ll lose. Besides, they’ve been exposed to the power of media all their lives and it isn’t ever going to stop. This can be a powerful lesson for them on how something that stirs passion and desire, borderline obsession, can be riddled with lessons that don’t apply to real life…lessons that can be damaging in real life. And then have them round out their reading with literature well grounded in reality. With discussion and exploration, I believe Stephenie Myer influences for the better. Her infecting saga of romance and fantasy can help our girls explore the power of media and its impact on reality. I’m proud at how open my girls have been in discussing these issues with me. I know they get frustrated sometimes, but they have been willing to explore and consider how they have been changed by one of Time Magazines “Top 100 Influential people of the year.”

The title comes from Jonathan Swift: “When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.” I really didn’t know what I was getting when I started the audio version (I listen to books during my daily commute), but after that first morning drive I was hooked. Barrett Whitener does a fantastic job of reading, so much so that I’m going to seek him out for future audio books. I’d like to point out, Stephen King (in “On Writing”) says that listening to a book is the best way to experience it and he used to pay his kids a nickel per page to record audio books for him.

I rarely actually laugh out loud, it’s one of my flaws. I know I’d be a happier person if I could belt it out more often so this book probably added a few years to my life. It is hilarious. The main character, poverty stricken Ignatius J. Reilly, is simultaneously a genius and a dunce. He’s a 30-year old loser who lives with his mom and doesn’t work, yet has a command of the English language that rivals a university professor. An early scene in the book where he severely tongue lashes an unsuspecting policeman made my mouth drop open. Who does this guy think he is? He uses words in ways I’d never imagined to berate and humiliate others into leaving him alone. It’s worth reading just to hear Ignatius string together words you would never think could be used to insult a person. If he was on my case, I wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry! I honestly think I would sit there encouraging him to keep on me just to hear what might come out of his mouth next!

To him, life is a sham and people are idiots. He spends his days writing his own profound thoughts in notebooks that pile up in bedroom so trashed you’d probably catch an STD just by walking through the door. The action begins when he is forced to go out and find a job and he begins to interact with the other characters of the book. It’s one unbelievable catastrophe after another. Here, Ignatius describes his life efforts…

“I dust a bit…in addition, I am at the moment writing a lengthy indictment against our century. When my brain begins to reel from my literary labors, I make an occasional cheese dip.”

~ Ignatius J. Reilly

Will Ferell was slated to star in a movie based on this novel, but as of yet they have been unable to obtain the rights to do it. That is one show I would LOVE to see.

Chris gave away his $24,000 trust fund to charity, turned down a new car from his parents, burned his money, and wandered around the western United States meeting people and experiencing the land. His final adventure was living in the wilds of Alaska for several months. It’s not spoiling the ending to tell what happened, it was all over the news. When I say it was his final adventure, I mean it literally. He left behind journals, pictures, and friends to help tell his story.

“Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness…give me truth.”

That quote from the movie sums me up. I don’t think most people really want truth, but maybe I’m wrong. Not that I claim to even have a clue about truth. Think about your most dear relationship or belief. If it is false, would you want to know? Many people I have talked to openly admit that if they could live out their life without having to face their darkness, they would prefer avoid the pain. And I see nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s the happier life and we need most of us to stay happy. In studies, pessimistic individuals are more depressed, big surprise there. But they also recount a more accurate portrayal of reality. Happy people tend to understate the bad and overstate the good. Thank God for happy people, I have no qualm with that. But it’s not for me. I don’t care the price, I want truth. I’ve battled depression all my life and have learned some skills to ease the bite, but I know it’ll follow me to the grave because I’d rather live a sad lonely life with truth than a happy disillusioned one. The bad news is that I’ll never know real truth. The good news is that my life is really quite good. But when it comes down to it, I want truth over happiness. I know how to survive living lonely and sad and I can get through those times. Please don’t ever “protect” me with lies.

I read the book and saw the movie and loved both. I expected I would enjoy them, but I also thought I’d find myself running a critical dialogue and arguing back with Jon Krakauer, the author. But this was not the case. He presented what I felt were objective arguments and won me over. Initially I thought Chris was a complete nut and the whole story was an over-sensationalized account of nothing. But Sandi liked the book so I gave it a chance. It’s the first book of his I’ve read and I’ll read more. I’m jealous of his writing ability. Dang I wish I could write that well. I also want to express my thanks to the family Chris left behind. They worked with Jon and exposed their demons so this story could be told truthfully. It takes character to face it like they did and I am thankful and respect them for this honestly.

I’ve never understood how my dad could plug away at the same job, year after year after decade. He never complained, in fact, he seemed to enjoy it. It’s never been like that for me. I could digress into an entire disposition about my struggles with work. Maybe it’s my depressive nature, my existentialistic core, or maybe I’m just spoiled rotten and don’t know how to buckle down and work. I get bored with jobs. I like new challenges and I like to be doing things that actually feel meaningful. When those things fall into place I dig in with a passion that might be better described as an addiction. But I’m picky as to what “meaningful” means.

I’ve often felt out of place in the modern world, like I just don’t fit. Don’t get me wrong, I have good jobs and I get good reviews from my employers. I just don’t feel happy about it. I feel like I’m wasting time and spending most of my time doing stuff that doesn’t matter at all. I often wonder if I missed my calling in life…my passions are writing and photography but I got a Masters in Accounting and computers. I can make good money doing those things so I don’t bail and pursue what I love. I keep telling myself some day I’ll do it. When take the time to write or take pictures I enjoy myself so much I feel depressed that I can’t do them all day long. That’s me, too often seeing the storm instead of the rainbow.

My struggle has always been whether I have a problem or whether I’m out of sync with who I really am. Am I horribly spoiled or am I just walking down the wrong road? I have a great life and I often think it’s pretty pathetic to even question these things. Who am I to complain when I have so much? Maybe having more than I need combined with a fair amount of free time gives me too much time to think. When I’m in survival mode, I really don’t question whether I’m happy or not…or whether I’m doing something meaningful. Those times are about putting food on the table.

Po’s book is a collection of stories about people that sound a bit like me. Most are about people that left jobs to pursue their dreams…and found happiness. These touched and inspired me to the core. They gave me hope that maybe I’m not flawed inside. Maybe one day I’ll be able to sort this part of myself out. Maybe I just got distracted young in life and pursued a career based on making money rather than on what I was passionate about. Maybe I’m not a lazy ass after all. I dunno…then I wonder if I switched that I’d still be unhappy. That’s where I liked Po’s book. A lot of people did get it sorted out.

At any rate, I continue to plug away at work. I figure once my kids are raised I can take another look at making changes in my career…take less money and do something that I really enjoy. Until then, I write and take pictures when I can. I’m glad I can provide for my family and more than happy to keep walking the treadmill for them. I submit my writing to publishers with the hope that maybe someday it will happen. I hope the end of my story is like the ones I liked in this book.

It’s so easy for me to try and soothe my frustrations and unhappiness buy buying stuff. I mean, I work hard and I deserve to buy stuff, right? A new Xbox game, a new video card, or a new gadget puts a short term thrill back into my life. If my mind has been purged of the frantic need to purchase (which this book helps to do), it becomes a decision rather than a compulsion. I may or may not still buy the stuff, but at least I’m making a conscious choice.

I’ve still got a lot to overcome but this book helped a lot. It’s about conscious living and making decisions based on the things we really want out of life. Reading it gave me a sense of peace and relaxation when it comes to finances. And that says a lot because normally everyone knows to stay away from me when I’m on the computer doing my finances (I transform into a rabid dog and will bite your head off).

I spent a good deal of my life running from various emotions and fears. I think to some degree we teach each other to avoid certain thoughts and feelings. Whether its death, religion, fears, dreams, or whatever….there are places we just don’t let our mind go…and that’s too bad. This is a great book that encourages us to think openly, question, and stand up for what we believe in.

I love animals, religion, philosophy, fiction, and adventure….so I loved this book. My only regret is finishing it. My daughter Aubree goes through the same sort of remorse when she finishes a book, sad we can’t keep reading. I loved spending time with Pi floating out on the ocean.

The book and musical are very different. The book a dark tale meant for adults and the musical fairy tale that is fun for the whole family. The story lines are different so you won’t ruin one by seeing/reading the other.

PosteNote: We went to the musical in Seattle and it was incredible!  Oh my gosh, if you have a chance make sure you see it! It was fabulous!