A Global Book Group?

Lately, there's been some buzz in the literary blog-o-sphere about this idea called, "One Book, One Twitter." It's sort of a global book group for the Twitter community proposed by Jeff Howe of Crowdsourcing.  Here's the plan in a nutshell: a gazillion people all read the same book simultaneously and tweet about it.  It's a lot like the one book-one city thing except on a broader scale.

I'm not sure how I feel about this, though. 

On the one hand I love books, reading and all things literature-related.  Reading is fundamental, you know.

But is Twitter the best forum for a book group?  By its very nature, Twitter restricts posts to around 140 characters.  What kind of meaningful exchange can you really have on the relevancy of 1984 or Fahrenheit 451 in only 140 characters?

And do we really need to have someone tell us what to read?  Isn't that what Oprah is for?

I suspect that the people who finally elect to participate in this literary social experiment are the same people who already belong to an online book community like Goodreads or Shelfari or Librarything, and so Jeff Howe won't really be accomplishing anything groundbreaking.  But I'm wondering what other people think about it.

Get The Balance Right...

One of the things I'm working on this year is taking better care of myself. This doesn't mean that I've resolved to lose 20 pounds or to lower my cholesterol. It's more general, and thus I think it's more achievable. It just means that I'm taking steps to feel better, both physically and mentally. Because I don't have a specific goal in mind (like be a size 6 by June), I feel like I have a better chance at success. So far, my plan is working: I'm eating better, getting a little exercise, socializing a bit and expressing my creative side more. It's this last part that is about balance -- and I really think it contributes to a better sense of mental health. Creativity means different things to different people and honestly, it isn't something I feel gifted with. I envy creative and artistic people. They just seem to have a special quality and perspective. I've read that creativity is something that is cultivated -- it's like a muscle you exercise regularly or it atrophies. I'm starting to believe that's true. I think you've got to expose yourself to a variety of experiences and stimuli in order to start building that creative spark. And I really do think there's a link between a suppressed creative mind and depression, and that there's a reason that art therapy is such a helpful tool in treating and diagnosing mental disorders. I feel like if I'm able to bring balance to my life -- to fulfill both my everyday practical obligations and satisfy my creative desires -- that I'm a happier person, a more whole person. The problem is that everyday life isn't always conducive to developing creative tendencies. How do artists and writers do it? How do they separate their lives -- their commitments and obligations -- from the time they need to nurture and grow the other side of their selves, their expressive side? How do other people get the balance right?

Family

I was raised by wild dogs. Well, not really but wild dogs would've probably done a better job at parenting than my own mother and father. My parents were pretty messed up. Lots of drama, drugs and booze. After a while, the rest of the family (the sane side) distanced themselves. Now that both my parents are dead, I'm re-connecting with my uncle, aunts and cousins. But here's the thing: there's a 30 year gap or so since I last saw them. I like them -- they all seem pretty nice (and normal). But I just don't feel connected, like we're family. I know that comes with spending time with them and getting to know each other. But I think maybe it's just me that feels this way -- I have the impression they feel like we're there already, we're Family (with a capital F). I want to explain how I feel but I don't want to hurt their feelings in the process. And I wonder if I'm weird because I can't feel connected to them yet. Relationships are hard. I know family is what you make of it -- your family doesn't even have to be related to you if that's how you define it and what you want. But for me it seems especially hard to figure out what it means. Do other people have this problem? Why is Family so complicated?

The Javier Bardem Effect

I broke one of my long-standing rules and watched a Woody Allen film: Vicky Christina Barcelona. I blame it on Javier Bardem. In any case, it has now stirred in me an overwhelming desire to visit Barcelona. I'm under no delusion that I will actually meet Javier there but regardless, I have fallen completely in love with the idea of traveling to Spain this year.

The movie was pretty good, too!

...In Which I Bemoan the Dearth of Common Sense In Today's World

My driver's license unexpectedly expired on my birthday this year. I say unexpectedly because it has always been renewed, without fail, since I first acqquired it at the age of 17. The DMV is supposed to notify you when your license isn't automatically renewed, but apparently the clerk in charge of keeping me abreast of this development was furloughed and I was blissful unaware of my scofflaw status. Once it was helpfully brought to my attention (thank you, local parks and recreation attendant), I scooted over to the DMV to rectify the situation. Except that after 20-odd years, I have to take the written test again. Now, when I first took the written test all those years ago the DMV handbook was more like a pamphlet. A lot has happened vehicularly-speaking since then and the handbook is more akin to the tax code these days. So the nice folks at the DMV sent me off with a temporary license and a DMV handbook, and an admonishment to study and come back for the test in a week or so.

Here's where things get irritating (and face it, when it comes to me you knew we'd arrive at irritating pretty quickly): I went to BevMo today to pick up a bottle of wine and some champagne for New Year's Eve. The clerk asked me for my ID (thank you very much, nice young BevMo boy), and I produced my license.

Clerk: Um, this is expired.

Me: Yes, I know. But here's my temporary license too.

At this point, another clerk interupted our transaction.

Clerk #2: Is it paper? Because that's not a valid form of ID. We can't accept it.

People, I am 42. While I'm somewhat youthful in appearance, by no stretch of the imagination could I be taken for someone under 21 years of age. My driving privilege expired -- not my birthdate. For cryin' out loud. The nice young Trader Joe's guy had no problem a few weeks ago when I used my expired license to validate my pinot grigio purchase. I'm all for responsible sales of alcohol and whatnot but honestly! What has happened to common sense these days?

And you know what the BevMo clerk said to me next?

"Just have a friend come with you to buy your stuff."

Great.

I felt like I was 18 again. Could someone please pass me the Boones Farms?

The Cult of Youth

There is a clothing store called Forever 21. The name puts me right over the edge. It implies that 21 is the golden age, the pinnacle of life. It also somehow manages to convey the message that anyone who isn't 21 cannot possibly be fashionable.

To add insult to injury, there is a new mega-sized Forever 21 right next to my local bookstore, ensuring that the shopping complex will now be overrun by scantily-dressed and rude young people. Ironically, this same shopping complex has had problems with loittering teens and curfew enforcement.

How did we evolve (and I'm not really sure that's the right term to use here) into a society that values youth and inexperience over maturity and the corresponding wisdom that comes from a life lived past 35? More and more, I am growing to resent the disenfranchisement by advertisers and the media of anyone older than 40. We aren't supposed to look our age, dress our age, or even act our age. Honestly, I'm really getting tired of one specific segment of the population so heavily influencing what I watch on TV or listen to on the radio or what kind of car I drive. Um...hello out there? It's the over-40 crowd that has the most discretionary income. And we're more likely to remain loyal to a product or brand. Since the average age-expectancy is now past 80, that's something to think about.

My Past Life

Most people don't know this about me but I took cello lessons for almost 5 years. I had to give the cello up when my husband became terminally ill with kidney and liver failure. I still have my cello, although I haven't played it in over 7 years. But lately I've had a strong urge to get it out and start practicing again. I loved playing the cello and I love hearing music that features this beautiful instrument. It's so evocative and melancholy, and has such a rich timbre -- it's entirely different from any other string instrument and so much more expressive in my opinion. One of my favorite CDs is Yo-Yo Ma playing the Bach suites. Yo-Yo is a god -- an incredible artist. His mastery of the cello is humbling and also inspirational. If you have the chance, listen to his interpretation of the Bach suites. And then give his "Appalachian Waltz" a spin. Two entirely different genres of music, both impressively interpreted by an awesome musician. As for me, I think I might soon be dusting off my own instrument and tuning it up. Let's hope my bow still has its hair.