So I recently began reading
The Cider House Rules by John Irving. I've found it to be pretty unique so far-- I'm only 100 or so pages in and so much has unfolded already. I've found parts innocently describing bedtime stories and sections just pages later that describe dirty prostitutes and unsafe abortions. It's gripping and different from what I've been used to lately. Here's a bit I enjoyed today:
If you love no one, and feel that no one loves you, there's no one with the power to sting you by pointing out that you're lying. If an orphan is not adopted by the time he reaches the alarming period of adolescence, he may continue to deceive himself, and others, forever. He believes he can trick the world. He believes he is invulnerable. An adolescent who is an orphan at this phase is in danger of never growing up.
At the end of the day, what counts is human connection. It's a bit like rock climbing, if you dare indulge. You can't start a successful climb without the proper gear, and a well-trained spotter. What matters is having someone to grab your rope, before anyone else even realizes it's slipping. We need reliable lifelines who aren't deceitful, people who can see the whole face of the cliff and let us know where to put our hands and feet when we get stuck. We need friends who will stand at the top of the cliff ready to lift us out of our pits, put blankets on our back and salve on our hands. We need people to give us slack, give us tension, and help us stay safe as we crawl our way up our massive rock face. If we don't find these spotters, we'll either be too stunted to start the climb, or end up plummeting off of it somewhere in the middle.
Morals of the story:
- Adopt orphans so they have a home
- Read John Irving
- Don't go rock climbing under-prepared.
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