With extreme heat and humidity, comes the dreaded chafe-- inner thighs, armpits and bustline!! It is inevitable--even if you smear yourself with glide and vaseline. OUCH--it is raw and sore and it sucks but it is part of summer running----so I try to embrace it. Too soon, it will be over and I will be back at school. CHAFE, SCHOOL, CHAFE, SCHOOL-----I'll take the chafe anytime. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching but working full-time cuts into my running routine and stresses me out. That is why I EMBRACE THE CHAFE--I can run every morning--something that is impossible to do during the school year. Chafe can mean many different things depending on the context. Literally, chafe means to become sore or damaged from rubbing or friction, but when talking about people, chafe is more metaphorical.
In the book A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving--the main character Owen Meany is a "tiny person" with a "wrecked" voice that rubs people the wrong way. I should let you know that this is a top 10 book for me and Irving's character, Owen Meany, will stay with me forever. This unforgettable story is narrated by John Wheelwright and is told in retrospect in 1987. He tells the story of his friendship with Owen Meany growing up in New Hampshire during the 1950's and 1960's. Owen, a dwarfish eleven year old, and John Wheelwright are best friends who love baseball. In an unfortunate accident, Owen kills John's mother with a foul ball in 1953. Owen takes this incident as a message from God---he believes that he is an instrument of God and will be redeemed in martyrdom. This novel is about faith, friendship, fate and the wisdom that comes with experience. There are several interesting, laugh out loud plot twists and quirky characters which are a must in any John Irving novel. Remember every person, and event in the story--- no matter how insignificant they may seem---because everything is important in an Irving novel and will come back around in the end. That is one of the reasons his books are so incredible. I have read this novel twice and will definitely read it again because it is so special. It is a bit of a commitment, maybe a 15k, but the 630 pages fly by--- you will not be able to put it down---and Owen Meany will stay with you forever too--I guarantee it.
This book seems familiar to me. It reminds me of Simon Birch. I loved Simon Birch. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I think the book was adapted into a movie but it is very different from the book. Try the book, it's a great read.
ReplyDeleteCurrently suffering from chafe, love this book as well. Great blog Marsha-Thanks for the Owen Meany memories.
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