The Book: What Makes Life Worth Living

I was fascinated by this NaBloPoMo challenge last year: "Describe the plot of the next book you want to read, even if the book doesn't exist yet." . The book I wanted to read was a crazy science fiction theme on time, change, and power featuring an over-the-hill superhero The Book: Time. For some reason that particular challenge stuck with me, and now I have another nonexistent book I want to read.

A couple of young well-respected scientists with exciting careers ahead of them, Gregory and Alyssa Rosen live in Denver and spend weekends skiing, backpacking or canoeing the mountains. They seem to have the perfect life, until a car crash on a snowy mountain road leaves her walking with the aid of a walker and robs him of 30 IQ points. Ironically, he had always said life wouldn't be worth living if he didn't have his mobility, and she had said anything was okay as long as she could learn new ideas and communicate them. After the crash, each is left with the thing they valued most, and compromised with the others' greatest fear. The tragedy has the power to shatter their marriage and their lives, but also to give them lessons in grace as they cope with their own losses and help and watch their spouse's struggle.

Never Lose Your Sense of Wonder

When I was a kid traveling by jet (one of the coolest things EVER for me) I was amazed to look at the adults around me. Most of them looked bored and had their noses buried in books or magazines, oblivious to the magical views around them.

"How can you do that?!!" I wanted to scream at them. "There's so much to look at out the window! Can't you save your book until tonight?" Right then, I promised myself I'd never never be one of them. Never pass up the opportunity to see magic in the world.

Dan and I went on a science trip that involved a raft trip down the entire length of the Grand Canyon. Yes, it involved some less-pleasant parts like standing watches all night to collect water samples, and we didn't get to travel at a leisurely pace, or stop for swimming or side hikes. It was still pretty darn spectacular. At one point on the trip, while we were floating downriver on the raft and gaping at the canyon walls, I looked at one of our colleagues, reading her paperback novel just as though she were on the subway. Huh? With all this magic around you? She explained that she'd done the trip so often that it was just boring routine for her. I'm reminded of my fourth-grade teacher, she of the many pungent proverbs. "Only boring people get bored," she'd remind us.

My childhood promise is one promise I've been able to keep. To this day, I take a window seat whenever possible. I spend most of the trip with my eyes glued to the window, and rarely read, watch the in-flight movie, or chat with my seatmates.

Here's the Monday morning commuter flight from St Croix to San Juan - and yeah, most of these folks just read their books; I took many photos like the one above.