Martha Had Some Questions...

I have some answers.

Okay, chil'ren, here is a little bedtime reading, guaranteed to bore you right to sleep. It is one of those things that go around the web, and I got tagged by martha . (Thanks Martha, for the challenge, and the food for thought.) Though it was fun to answer I don't know if I will pass the thing on or not. I hope it's not like a chain letter that will bring me seven years of terrible bad luck if I break it.

1. You're stuck inside Farenheit 451. Which book do you want to be? I would probably want to be the Bible. Well, wait a minute, yes, like martha, martha says, that is a trick question, stuck in there to drive us quiet and wary types (the ones who have to have the real, right answer, we know who we are) to distraction…now let’s see, what was the name of that totally bland and neutral book, the one that would not change anybody, the most useless book in the world…that would guarantee my survival. Maybe I would be the Lower Podunkville phone book or the Fungus of the Month picture calendar.

2. Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? All the time, all the time. That is a silly question to ask someone with an imagination as active as mine, and embarrassing for me to answer. Ummm, Indiana Jones…and his father. I have not had many crushes on fictional characters lately. My fantasy thinking time has recently been more devoted to cataloging characteristics of various real men into the ultimate fictional character to have a crush on.

3. The last book you bought was...? Making Journals by Hand, which I was a little disappointed with and Out of the Question: Into the Mystery, by Leonard Sweet, which I am still reading, and not disappointed with.

4. The last book you read was...? Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg. I will confess right here that the internet has somewhat spoiled my reading habits. I tend to read bits and pieces of books on the web, and then move on to another book, another subject, like a delicate little hummingbird. That, and the fact that I am on a budget and in arrears with the library at the moment, has slowed down my formerly voracious reading habits. I was holding my (seriously) overdue books until Thanksgiving, when they usually have a food drive, where you could bring canned goods and they would forgive your overdue book fines. They not only did not have the “forgive your fine” week, they also RAISED the fine from a totally insignificant amount to an exhorbitant Mafia style amount, designed to hurt procrastinators like me into taking our due dates more seriously. One library lady told me she would work with me on my fines, since I DID return all the books, but I am too ashamed to go back and find her. I keep hoping they will, like, give up on me, and clear my record, or that the statute of limitations will take effect, or something.

If I ever do get back in the good graces of my local library, I will probably check out the book Fahrenheit 451. I read a little of Ray Bradbury way back in high school, but I do not remember what I read. And I will read more fiction. I hate to spend money on fiction. And I will check out some of May Sarton's poems and journals.

5. What are you currently reading? The Leonard Sweet book I just bought, silly.

6. Five books you would take to a desert island...Wait a minute, WHY am I going to this island, how long will I be there, am I going to be all by myself, will there be other people around, and what kind of people will they be (readers, intellectuals, philosophers, or just people who will complain about the lack of televisions), and most importantly, what am I going to eat?

When all that gets settled, I would most definitely bring my Bible, either my current Ryrie study Bible (NIV) or possibly, my Living Bible from my high school days. Assuming I am stuck on the island, I would probably bring a few books I have intended to read, and have not gotten around to, like one of Anais Nin’s journals (which one?), Bonhoeffer’s Letters From Prison (or another one of his books), something by Merton….whoa, that is four already. I have a problem, because I would want to bring one of Leon Hale’s books along (I might just have to bind several of them into one book). His writing is mostly essays about life and people, sometimes humorous, sometimes deep, and sometimes sad. The thing I love about his sad writing is that he does not do it often and it always comes up from behind and surprises me. His writing would provide variety and entertainment. Oh yeah, he also writes about the great state of Texas. Then I would also want a book of poetry. One book that comes to mind, because I have not read it yet, is one of Charles Bukowski’s. Right now, I can’t think of the name of it and I don’t see it on the link I have provided. I have had my eye on it at our Books a Million. Of couse, the smarter thing to do might be to bring an anthology of some type, again, to provide variety.

But on the other hand, what about books I have already read, and would like to refer back to? Like Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott, or Let Your Life Speak, by J. Parker Palmer….can’t they just install a library on this island, just for me? Because, they both have new books out that I know I want to read.

And what about all my personal correspondence that I might want to read again?

I can tell you one thing right now, I don’t think I am going on this here island trip. And how can it be a desert island? Isn’t that an oxymoron? I mean, an island is surrounded by water, a desert has no water. What gives?

I guess I would need a book on how to survive on a desert island too. Does THAT have to count as one of my books?

7. What three people are you passing this stick on to and why? I don’t yet know who I will pass this on to.

Note to Miss Martha: Anything else you want to know?...And you thought you were charmingly neurotic! Well…okay...maybe my neurosis just defies description!