February 12, 2023 TIME IS ON MY SIDE

 

If you could find out how long you had to live, would you want to know? That's a scary question right? On the one hand, it would be nice to know because then you could arrange your life in such a way that reflected the time you had left on Earth. It could also be a real downer, especially, if you found out you only had one year left. Not sure if I would want to know how many years I have left--it would probably freak me out. Blissful ignorance is more my speed.  How about you? I recently finished a novel that examined this idea called The Measure by Nikki Erlick. As this thought provoking novel unfolds, every person in the world wakes up one morning and receives a small wooden box. Some choose to open the box, while others do not. Inside the box is a string and a message that reads "The measure of your life lies within".  The people do not know where the boxes came from or what they mean at first. Over time, they come to realize that the length of the string equates to the length of their lives and the whole world must adapt to this new "order".  Should people with shorter strings have to register with the government? Should the long stringers get better jobs? Should the government force people to open their boxes? The novel explores eight people who try to deal with this "new" world and the consequences of either opening or keeping the box closed.  This is dystopia at its finest. The Measure is a fascinating but also disturbing story of about 350 pages  about family and friendships and how lives are forever changed by a small box. Enjoy and be thankful we don't have to make that choice.  

February 5, 2023 IT'S NOT EASY TO BE ME

 Feeling old lately. I have so many aches and pains--back hurts, butt hurts, leg hurts, knee hurts. I am LITERALLY FALLING APART. Not sure what to do. So-- do I continue to TRY to do yoga and modify--do I continue to TRY to run--slower than molasses--through the pain--even when my foot starts tingling? How about pickleball? UGH-- OR do I just stop doing EVERYTHING. Sit around like a rock and die of boredom and depression. It is such a catch 22. The rate I'm going--I'll be ON THE CANE before long. It's not easy to be me...............In other news--If you're looking for a fine piece of historical fiction, look no further than the 2021 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. The main character, Thomas Wazhashks, is based on the life of Erdrich's own grandfather. Thomas works as a night watchman at a jewel bearing factory near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural Dakota. He is also a Chippewa council member on the reservation. Thomas, as tribal chairman, works to fight against Native American Dispossession of the 1950s. He and other council members not only struggle to understand the termination bill, but also fight in Congress for their land, rights and Native American identity when  Congress wants to end all treaties. In addition to Thomas and his family, other heartwarming characters on the reservation include Patrice, who works at the factory to support her mother Zhanaat and brother Pokey. Wood Mountain, a boxer interested in Patrice and Lloyd Barnes, a math teacher at the reservation school. Each faces different hardships living on the reservation including poverty, abuse and addiction. I totally loved the characters in this well written novel and enjoyed learning about a time in history that I wasn't familiar with. This should be required reading in every high school  because the Native American struggle in our history is one that should never be forgotten. It's about 460 pages--well worth your time.