Someone I've met just recently, gave me a present of a book
last week. It was one of those academic soul exploring
books, all about realising your potential and casting off
the shadow of your negative self, getting in touch with the
child within you and touching on issues that I thought were
only raised in psychotherapy sessions. Excuse me while I
yawn.
I thanked my friend profusely for the gift "how wonderful,
thanks so much" while secretly wondering if the shop would
take it back and I could spend the money on the "Mr. Bean
Diary" instead. Don't get me wrong, I adore reading, I can't
get enough of words, I read novels vociferously, but the
most heavyweight thing I read is the Sunday papers and even
then I go to the cartoons first. In the end, I didn't take
the book back to the shop, it sat looking at me from the
coffee table for a week, and I sat looking at it, willing it
to disappear. In the end, I gave in and read it. And do
you know what? I really enjoyed it. Never has a book
affected me so much since I read Stephen King's "The
Shining" and couldn't sleep for 3 nights out of sheer
terror.
I've learned a lot about myself from this new book although
there were a few words I had to look up in the dictionary
and some Jungian theories, well, I don't even pretend to
know what they meant. This book was as uplifting and
revealing as a Wonderbra. I'm fired up now and raring to
go, I want to get in touch with my psyche, start meditating,
learn yoga, light some candles and do some chanting. I want
to find religion, offer up my soul to the highest bidder and
be cleansed. Maybe Buddhists have the secret? they always
look so happy don't they.. although I'm not sure I'd suit
wearing orange. I want to explore the meaning of life,
find the answer to eternal happiness and spread the word to
the thousands of lost souls. The question is though - where
do I start? I wonder if the "Mr Bean Diary" holds the
answer?
Glenda Young is also the authoress of the
weekly Coronation
Street Update on the net, and can be contacted at: