Reading Log 2010 - July

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (The Definitive Edition)

Translated by Susan Assotty, introduction by Elie Wiesel, Edited by Otto Frank/Mirjam Pressler.

Wow 13 yr old to 16 yr old? Anne was a wonderful writer, hence this book has been read by tens of millions of people!!  It is so real, very easy to read.

My favourite Anne quotes: 

o     “I stood at the top of the stairs while German planes flew back and forth, and I knew I was on my own, that I couldn’t count on others for support.  My fear vanished.  I looked up at the sky and trusted in God.”

o     “My advice is:  Go outside, to the country, enjoy the sun and all nature has to offer.  Go outside and try to recapture the happiness within yourself; think of all the beauty in yourself and in everything around you and be happy”…..”A person’s who’s happy will make others happy; a person who has courage and faith will never die in misery!”

…and for me the most poignant and inspiring…

o     “I don’t want to live in vain like most people.  I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met.  I want to go on living after my death!  And that’s why I’m so grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop myself and express all that’s inside me! …………But, and that’s a big question, will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer?”

Well Anne you sure did!  I think the fact that ten million people have read your diary would fulfill on that dream – it’s just such a frustrating pity that you weren’t around to enjoy it!

Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain

This is a great book. I plan to get the workbook and complete the recommended exercises.  The main message I got from it is that in order to receive we must freely give and in order to give, we must freely receive.  Also not to just give but do it with joy eg.  ‘pay your bills joyously’.  I laughed at this one – but why not?  We pay them anyway, we may as well do it joyously!  This made a lot of sense to me and subsequently added value to my travels and experience of life.  Often I hold on to 'things' in an effort to both be thrifty; and practice the three R’s for the environment (reduce, reuse, recycle).  But what I saw from this book is that doing this clogs up my part in the cycle of giving and receiving.  Since reading this book I've had a wonderful time of giving when I've had the opportunity.  Several people benefitted and it gave/gives me such joy to give. 

Natascha gave me a hoodie and a jacket to keep me warm in Europes’ autumn.  I left one at a woofing farm, and the other with a young woman who was begging in Venice, then some trousers with friend Roz in Postsdam (note the range of recipients!).  Once I began to think of what I could give, ideas began to flow.  I allowed myself to lighten my pack in other ways too.  We gave to a wonderful busker in Florence, and to other people asking for things along our travels.  'Giving' started to happen much more freely, and the receiving that we'd been thankful for throughout our travels, continued..

Through an insight from Vipassana I realized that empathy and compassion is what makes a huge difference to 'life' and was an area that I wanted to strengthen.  I saw that I had to be able to ‘be OK with’ beggars, deformities, people in need, before I was able to assist and this didn’t always need to be in a monetary way (although not lacking - I am unemployed…).  I practiced and became far less uncomfortable around those ‘in need’.  

Some have 'so much' and some 'so little', but some have happiness and some do not, and I believe that the two independent of each other.  I became much more able to ‘be with’ people in whatever situation they were in.  I began to communicate love and understanding through smiles and felt that people were impacted by this simple gesture.  Days before, in this situation, I would have either; given some money, or looked away and tried to dodge her (annoyed that she was there) but either way I would have been filled with guilt that I was 'with' and she was 'without'.

The woman begging in Venice is particularly memorable for me.  A young woman/same age range as me, with completely different life circumstances, and still seemingly happy.  Very  commendable!  She was sitting on a step by the road leading out from our hotel holding a paper cup.  On our way out I smiled at her, with love and compassion. She gave me a beaming smile back, a gift between us, she didn't appear 'annoyed that I hadn’t filled her cup’.  I really appreciated her receiving my gift of a smile and her smile back.  We repeated this the next several times that we passed her – and she continued to greet me happily despite receiving nothing but my smile and cheer.  On our last day in Venice, walking out with our packs, she was in the same spot, I gave her a smile and walked past, then stopped. Oh my gosh, that jacket could be of use to her in the winter.  I grabbed it out of my pack, walked back and gave it to her.  She looked delighted and as we walked off, Snowdon noticed that she was trying it on straight away.  We gave her a thumbs up look, and we’re off.  That joy of giving is so powerful and I feel so happy that such small gestures can make a difference. 

Thus were created some of the most memorable moments of a very memorable period of travel.

Should you be laughing at this? By Hugleikur Dagsson

I’m really not sure how to take this one.  Although it has lead me to question when it’s beneficial to loosen up and laugh at life, or just entirely inappropriate and offensive.  I continue to ponder this in all kinds of situations...



(Post published 6 Sept)