September 12, 2017 WALK ON BY

The monotony of every day life. It's such a rigmarole. Almost ROBOTIC at times. When my kids were little I couldn't wait for them to get older--to be able to do things on their own. Just a little independent so that  I didn't feel--SO PUT UPON. I kept telling myself -- one day I'll have ME TIME again--a little FREEDOM.  Then TA--DA--All of a sudden--THAT DAY CAME. I finally have time to myself again--BUT NOW I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT I WANTED TO DO THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT?? Life is funny like that. The old me--B.C.--BEFORE CHILDREN--is long gone--replaced by some older, more mature version. The things I thought were important back then seem so SILLY now.  There are many things we don't understand until we've lived a little and reflect back. HOW UNFORTUNATE.  One of my favorite writers once wrote, "You live [life] forward, but understand it backward." I couldn't have said it better myself. With this in mind,  I just finished a wonderful book by Kathleen Rooney called Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk who explores this theme.

It's New Years Eve 1984 and  Lillian Boxfish, an 85 year old octogenarian, is getting ready to go to a party. An avid walker, Lillian decides to stroll to the party through her old haunts in Manhattan so that she can reminisce about the good ole days. She's had an interesting life. Over a 10 mile jaunt,  she  visits many "ghosts of the past" including the  R. H. Macy's building.  During the 30's-40's, Lillian was  the most successful AD woman in the department store. (This part is based on Margaret Fishback, a real-life ad woman and author). A feisty, sophisticated woman, Lillian was a woman who wanted more out of life. She wanted equal pay and  the same rights as men--at a time when women who got pregnant were out of a job. During her walk, the reader learns that Lillian's life didn't go quite the way she planned. As Lillian looks back over her life, she reevaluates many of her decisions. While walking, she also meets a cast a characters who either teach Lillian a lesson or visa-versa. This book is just great. I fell in love with Lillian on the first page. She is funny, passionate and flawed in many ways--a real person. The writing is also impeccable--almost poetic at times. Do yourself a favor and pick up this new release ASAP. It's about 300 pages--or a 4 mile run--that is simply unforgettable.