February 7, 2017 SOUTHERN CROSS

The dreaded flu taught me an important lesson. BE THANKFUL FOR THE LITTLE THINGS. I can't begin to describe the SIMPLE PLEASURE I felt at being well enough to go for a run again. YIPPIE!!! IT HAD BEEN OVER A WEEK and I was really itching to get back on the road. There is nothing quite like pounding the pavement on FRESH legs on a sunny day in February.  It doesn't get much better than that. This may sound strange--but I felt lost without it.  My life-- to a large degree-- really revolves around running. When I get that run in, all is right with the world. So being sick messes me up on every level--my routine fall by the wayside and everything else falls apart. I need to run-- it helps me focus and keep everything in perspective. It also helps me stay positive in a world filled with negativity AND gives me the energy I need to face it. IT IS MY COMPASS.  Every so often, I need to be reminded that I shouldn't take it for granted. It is really a gift and I'm lucky to have it. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a compass to help guide their life-- this is especially evident in Oscar Wilde's classic of 1891 The Picture of Dorian Gray.  

Set in Victorian Era England, Dorian is a well-cultured, handsome man who takes up residence with his aunt in London. He is introduced to English society including Lord Henry Wotton and a well-known artist named Basil Hallward. Upon meeting Dorian, Basil is captured by his good looks and asks Dorian to sit for a portrait. The painting is wonderful because it truly captures the essence of Dorian AND his strapping good looks.  Dorian falls in love with the image and decides to "make a deal with the devil." Dorian wishes that the painted image of himself would age and that he himself would remain forever young and beautiful. Sounds simple enough right-- Be careful what you wish for. This novel reminds me of a twist on Faust--If you make a deal with the devil??  Eighteen years go by and everyone ages except Dorian. His vanity grows insatiable, as does his cruelty and selfish behavior. His moral sensibilities are such that they offend British society and he is shunned by his so called friends. Maybe staying young and beautiful forever isn't all it's cracked up to be. Find out what ultimately happens to Dorian, Basil and Lord Henry when you read this fine example of Gothic literature. It's about 250 pages--or a 5 mile run--with a timeless moral we should all heed. Happy reading.