Between the Lines - Inspiration Needed?
March Picks
What Makes Olga Run?, by Bruce Grierson
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, by Charlie Mackesy
Educated, by Tara Westover
I decided to approach the Between the Lines segment differently this month. Instead of a single book I will do shorter write-ups on 3 books that I recently read. I don’t know about you, but I often find myself reading a number of books at once. I never read two fiction books at the same time, but I do always have some sort of source book on topics ranging from health, food, nature and environment, to a running or yoga book, or an inspirational title, or even a self-improvement book on my nightstand. Honestly, the stack can get unwieldy at times, and I worry I will never get through them all and promise myself I won’t buy another book until I have read the ones I have. On the other hand, the stack is an awesome reminder of just how much information and knowledge is out there waiting to be discovered. Each of these 3 selected titles have in common their ability to inspire: to fill the mind and heart with hope, to prompt or induce someone to do something, to fill with breath and life.
What Makes Olga Run?
Thoughts - I turned 60 this past December and this milestone birthday, more than any other, got me thinking about my mortality (boo) but then it got me thinking about the best way to live the remainder of my life (yay). I started looking around for some inspiration and because I like to run, I was intrigued by the subject matter of Bruce Grierson’s book, “The Mystery of the 90 -something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us about Living Longer, Happier Lives”. He met Olga in 2010 when writing an article about her for the New York Times. By 2014, he was writing a book about her hoping to uncover the secret to her longevity and vitality. He writes in the opening paragraph, “After all, we need to die, but it’s by no means obvious why we need to get dead, incrementally the way we do.” If Olga is doing this ‘getting dead” thing incrementally better than most, what is it about her that makes this possible. The author examines everything from her birthplace, childhood, diet, sleep patterns, social, professional, and spiritual habits while at the same time Olga submits to all sorts of scientific tests including a brain analysis, offering her DNA for study and countless observations of her body’s response to physical exercise/exertion. So what makes Olga run and what makes a Super Senior super? As it turns out, there’s not a single answer to that question, however there are some similarities in habit and attitude among this group. The author compiled a list of the attributes that the group shared and at the end of the book you can find his 9 Rules for healthy aging gleaned from his research on Olga and this group at large. The list should provide an excellent blueprint for living a long, healthy and happy life. My takeaway is Rule Nine: Begin Now.
Overall - Inspiration : I have been prompted to do something! I enjoyed the book. The science is accessible for all, and the sweet friendship that develops between the author and Olga is a pleasure to witness.
P.S. Before meeting Olga, I had another phenomenal role model of healthy aging in Tao Porchon Lynch, the world’s oldest yoga teacher who passed away this past February at the age of 102. She left me with this saying (penned by Ashley Montagu): “The idea is to die young as late as possible.” She, like Olga Kotleko, embodied this spirit, living their lives fully, without limitations, to the end.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Thoughts - “What do you think success is?” asked the boy “To love,” said the Mole”. Foremost this is a book about kindness to oneself and others. Its universal message of love and charity overlays a beautifully sketched landscape of mostly black and white, with splashes of color here and there. It started on Instagram and you can easily see how the book’s structure would succeed on that platform. It is true that most of the ideas and reflections found here have been expressed before and oftentimes in a more sophisticated manner, and because of that I imagine there are adults who will be put off by the platitudes. On the other hand, some ideas bear repeating, and I think Mackesy’s messages are among them.
Overall - Inspiration : My heart is full of hope! I see myself reading this fable many times over in the coming years to my grandchildren; I will be sure to take my time with each and every lovely page and let the the little ones ask as many questions as they want along the way.
Educated
Thoughts - Two years and two months after Educated was released it still sits on the New York Times bestseller list. After reading the book it comes as no surprise. Tara is a remarkable young woman, a survivor. Her gripping memoir is a brutal coming of age story that recounts her upbringing in a survivalist family and ultimately her decision to leave. I read this book over the course of two days. I found it difficult to read, but impossible to put down. I can’t count how many times I feared for her life, a real, physical heart-racing fear for her safety. There is a whole lot of pain to be found in Educated: the emotional and physical abuse she endured at the hands of her violent brother, the danger her manic father placed her in time and time again, and maybe worst of all, the realization that her mother was unwilling to protect her. Westover is a fine writer and you will enjoy her descriptions of the beauty and majesty of Idaho and Buck’s peak. You understand that Tara has to leave this place, but you also understand that this landscape defines her; after all, this is her home and this is her family. You know there will be a cost to pay should she reject this isolated world of her childhood. When Tara announces she is planning on attending college, she sets in motion an entirely different life trajectory, one that will allow her to define herself on her own terms. She attends BYU and ultimately is awarded a PhD from Cambridge University. She ends her memoir with the following reflection: “You could call this selfhood many things: Transformation. Metamorphosis. Falsity. Betrayal. I call it an Education”.
Overall - Inspiration: a renewed appreciation of our resilience! I strongly recommend this book; Tara is smart, observant, and non-judgmental, and I enjoy her intelligent reflections. Here’s just one example: ”It is a change in the self. I am not the child my father raised, but he is the father who raised her”. This got me thinking about my own journey to self and then it had me wondering about our grown childrens’ journeys. I guess that’s a conversation waiting to be had.
Stay well and happy reading,
Kathryn