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Choices, choices, choices

Contributed by: Erin Di Paolo on 12/7/2006

I am in a book club. I know that is not a big revelation; thousands of people are. But I joined my first-ever book club at the age of 43. This particular book club was started in Green Valley Ranch by a few women that work out at the local Curves here. My friend, Linda, knowing my love for books, invited me to attend a few months back. I was instantly excited and dove right in.

I am a person with very strong views on just about everything. But I told Linda that since I was a newbie in the group, I would not be expressing myself about the first book we read, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer. Linda, who has known me for about 15 years, just looked at me, but said nothing. She would not be holding her breath.

I loved the book! I always tell my students at school that if a book makes me cry, it's a keeper; if not, well, someone might get it from me as a Christmas or birthday gift. Knowing this nifty piece of information, the kids always look at me to see if I am tearing up during reading time. Of course now I mostly teach middle school students and am crying for an altogether different reason!

Needless to say, I expressed exactly how I felt to everyone in the group. I was not shy at all. I think they all hate me now, but at least they know what they are getting with me.

My point in bringing any of this up is to merely say that book club has caused me to read some books that I might not otherwise read. And in reading these books, I grow a little, find out about wonderful authors, and learn something new, oftentimes about myself and others.

Two books that I have read recently (one for the club, one on my own) have had a theme that is thought-provoking, especially during this time of year. The first, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, is the one we read for book club and the second, For One More Day, I read on my own.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards, is all about how making one poor choice can change the enitre landscape of one's life. It caused me to think of my own life, the poor choices I have made, and what would have been different for me if I had not made these choices. It is a powerful book and I recommend it highly.

I just finished Mitch Albom's For One More Day yesterday. I started reading it the night before. Needless to say, it is a very quick read and too good to put down. Albom's book speaks of the regret of not living one's last day with a loved one well. The main character, therefore, gets one more day to spend with his mother and, the second time around, gets it right. It is a story of redemption at its finest. And don't we all want redemption?

The book was panned by many critics when it came out, speaking of its sappyness. I, for one, could not care less. It moved me; that's all that matters. And it is written well. I loved the book and, again, highly recommend it. In fact, it is one of those books that I will probably be giving as a gift, not because I hated it, but because it struck a chord in my soul. I would be remiss if I did not share that with others.

My point is this: books are a wonderful and non-threatening way for us to contemplate our lives, the choices we make. Even fiction books can cause us to connect and make changes in our lives. And if we can make even one positive change, it can make all the difference in our lives and, possibly, the lives of others.

Happy reading!


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Erin Di Paolo

Denver , CO

Erin Di Paolo has posted 61 stories and 6 comments since joining on 3/18/2006. Erin Di Paolo 's average story rating is 4.81.
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