Reflections on a Rainy Day

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."
-Robert Frost, Goodreads




Once we reach a certain age, many of us have a few sayings that we claim in order to express our views of life. We might say things such as "It's not a bed of roses," or "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade," and so on.  Frost's words here remind me of Ben Franklin's quote about the only two things that we can be certain of in this life, death and taxes. We see that sometimes something thought-provoking can be expressed in just two or three words. So, as Frost puts it, life definitely goes on, and it seems to be able to go on without our help. Think about that on this stormy Monday night. And hopefully you thought about taxes in a timely manner last week and met the April 15th deadline!

Have you read the little book by Maya Angelou that was published last year,  Rainbow in the Cloud: The Wisdom and Spirit of Maya Angelou?  I recommend this book for those times when you are meditating or when you have a specific topic for a group discussion. I especially like Angelou's chapter on Art and Literature. In this chapter, the author comments on many topics that affect life, art, and writing. I like what she says about the interpretation of poetry:

I've had people explain to me what one of my poems meant, and I've been surprised that it meant that to them. If a person can use a poem of mind to interpret her life or his life, good. I can't control that . Nor would I want to.

This quote by Angelou reminds me of one of my beloved college English professors at Georgetown College, Dr. Gwen Curry. I had Dr. Curry for an upper level English course, 20th Century Poetry, and I enjoyed it very much, even though much of the poetry was very depressing.  There were only about seven students in the class, so there was no way that I could just be a listener and "slide by" in this class. Participation was required, of course, so I chimed in even if I wasn't sure if my interpretation of a poem was correct. Yet Dr. Curry affirmed and applauded every single comment that was made about a poem. In other words, there was no wrong answer in her class, and whatever you said was greatly valued. This speaks to the kind of person and professor that Dr. Curry was, an educator who led us to learn but didn't close the doors on what we wanted to learn. I think that Angelou and Curry were on the right road to true learning.

As you read the list of the next ten books that I've read since 1984, you will note that I've read eight hilarious books by Sophie Kinsella, the British humorist. The eighth book was listed in last week's post.

1. Confessions of a Shopaholic by Kinsella
2. I've Got Your Number by Kinsella
3. Shopaholic and Baby by Kinsella
4. Shopaholic and Sister by Kinsella
5. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Kinsella
6. Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Kinsella
7. The Undomestic Goddess by Kinsella
8. Communication Theory for Christian Witness by Charles H. Kraft
9. Into the Wild by Jan Krakeuer
10. Salt by Mark Kurlansky

I'd love to hear your thoughts about short quotes that are meaningful, Maya Angelou, or a favorite professor that you remember. What's your favorite quote about the meaning of life? Do you agree/disagree that there is no wrong way to interpret a poem? Have you read any of the books on today's list, and if so, did you like or dislike them?

"A penny for your thoughts" today!

-Melissa