Tuesday, 06 May 2008

It's Summer Time!

It’s time to make that list of books for summer reading. While summer is a time for relaxing and taking things in stride, it’s also a great opportunity for pumping ourselves up with knowledge or immersing ourselves in the beauty of language through a good novel. If you’re one of those people who like to ask for recommendations on good books to read, here’s a list of books which I consider to be not only great reading material, but are also bound to leave you with more questions on what it means to be human and a new appreciation for this magical journey of ours on earth.
First, there is Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett, a beautifully written and captivating story set in Latin America. The memorable characters (terrorists and hostages) will stay with you well beyond the climatic ending. Also, Feast of Love, by Charles Baxter, is another excellent read that deals with the greatest emotion of all--Love. Even if you already saw the movie which was released last year (portrayed wonderfully through two well known actors, Greg Kinnear and Morgan Freeman), the book is far better. And for those of you who like the classics, I highly recommend Nathaniel Hawthorne, particularly, The House of the Seven Gables, which gives you an in-depth look at the mysteries of the human heart.

In addition to losing yourself in great novels, you might also want to power-up with motivational material. I would highly recommend Norman Vincent Peale (The Power of Positive Thinking) or Dr. Wayne Dyer (Real Magic), among many others. And if you simply want to kick back and read something light, where a happy ending is guaranteed, you can check out my romance novel, The Other Face of Love (written under the pseudonym Elena Iglesias). It’s available at Awe-Struck E-books: www.awe-struck.net/AUTHORS47/tofol.html

Summer is a great time to stray from the normal routine of the year. So pamper yourself by setting up a new schedule that will enrich your mind, body and soul: cultivate new hobbies; start a new plan of exercise; and develop new and better eating habits---but don’t forget to nourish the mind as well by reading a book or two!

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Thursday, 03 April 2008

Love

When we’re born, our first brush with Love is with our mother, our father, then siblings and extended family.  From there it’s our neighborhood friends, then new friends at elementary school, high school, and onward to college where we acquire a whole new brand of friends, this time from abroad.  Assuming this natural progression continues, it’s logical to deduce that Love will continue its forward march, overstepping boundaries, until it encompasses all of humanity, right?  Well, maybe not just yet….at least not as long as war, poverty, and indifference still have a place in our vocabulary.

Today we celebrate Love.  We dress for the occasion by wearing red.  We commemorate our loved ones by giving them chocolates and flowers.  And we honor our co-workers and friends by whishing them a Happy Valentines Day……but nothing else of significance happens, and tomorrow all goes back to normal.  It all ends there as if no one else in the world existed other than those in our own air-tight circle.  I’d like to share this beautiful song that my daughter brought home from school the other day.  It got me thinking, truly thinking, about the broader implication of LOVE.

Love In Any Language                    

By:  Sandi Patti

 

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Our Political Culture

Maybe it’s time the political culture changed in the U.S.  After all these years, after the suffragette and civil rights movements, the issues of sex and race are alive and well---and if you haven’t noticed, they’re a  big part of this presidential election. 

Why does the possibility of having the first black president---or woman president---cloud over the issues that we should really be paying attention to?  Rather than worrying over what skin tone our next president has, or whether our new commander-in-chief will show up on the White House steps in a skirt and stiletto heels, or for that matter, being fearful of parting with the Bush/Clinton presidencies that keep getting shuffled back and forth—going back to 1989---we need to open our eyes like never before and pay attention to the real problems, like the healthcare crisis, the sagging economy, and, of course, the great debacle of a war that, for now, has no end in sight.  Fear is a petty thing, and if we’re to move forward in this country, we need to get past that old dread of pushing our boundaries and trying something new.  I’m not vouching for any of the candidates in this blog…. it’s up to you to decide on that….but please don’t let fear keep you from making the decision you feel in your heart is right for you…and for our children who in the end will inherit the consequences of the choices we make today.  The culture needs to change, but for that to happen we need to do away with the fear culture so prevalent these days.  I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

“I’ll lean into my fears and dare to cut them down, for they are nothing more than empty space masked to look like hell.” – Richard Bach (from the book Illusions) 

 

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