This Is Trivial.

I was never tasked with reading Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. in high school. It has always been deemed a classic in the literary world and usually found in high school English class curriculums. Let me start by saying I adore Kurt Vonnegut, his dark, twisty satirical sense of humor has a way of pulling you in and resonating in your brain. I felt a complete connection with Jailbird and remember the impact it had on me so vividly. Jailbird isn’t one of his more highly praised books, and it wasn’t the first book I read by Vonnegut. Honestly, I don’t remember which was, but as long as I can remember inviting Mr. Vonnegut into my life, I have always enjoyed his company. A gal I know once told me she was going to get the Vonnegut asterisk tattooed on her and I paused, just staring at her, wondering if she knew it’s not really an asterisk. For those of you who have not read Breakfast of Champions, here’s an excerpt with the “asterisk”:

 

This is where you leave me. 

Overall, I did not like Slaughterhouse Five. There. I said it.

It was so strange and at times hard to follow. There were definitely parts of the book I loved as it was written by someone who knew how to write well and grab my attention, but when I finished reading it and put it down, I felt a sense of confusion as to why it’s regarded as highly as it is. Whenever I don’t like a book, there is an amount of guilt that comes with it. How can I dislike something I love so much? This time it struck all the chords in me that maybe there is something wrong with my perception, or I read it incorrectly. Whatever it is, it had to be my fault that I didn’t fall in love with this book, by this author I think so highly of. I also realize this maybe the most trivial thing I ever write about. 

I started to think more about it. Not so much about Kurt Vonnegut in a secular way, but how people perceive him. Anytime I hear his name being thrown around, it’s almost always followed up with how much he is loved/adored/appreciated. Except once! One time a friend and I were talking and in complete honesty, I was told that my friend didn’t get it. Didn’t get the hype around him or his work and we talked at length about it. I so appreciated the candor of the conversation, because it does sometimes feel like a fad to be a fan of Vonnegut. I realize I started this post out praising the man and his work, and I also find that I don’t appreciate him any less solely because he wrote a book I’m not on the Vonnegut bandwagon with everyone else. I probably would have failed this portion of my English class if I had been subjected to reading and writing a report on Slaughterhouse Five. 

I might be a little more pensive when I hear someone say they love Kurt Vonnegut and all of his works, I have yet to read them all, but I know not every single one of them is a winner for me…I didn’t really like Cat’s Cradle either if I’m being honest. It’s kind of a humbling experience- coming to the realization someone you admire shouldn’t be idealized. So it goes. 

Sunsets and Strangers

I've been having a rough couple of days. I'm trying to move past some life obstacles and hiccups that I can't seem to shake, and I took today for myself to do things I neglected over the weekend, as well some self reflection...and catch up on Walking Dead. On a side note, I've realized that if you're having a rough go of things, watching the Walking Dead might not be the best idea, as the possibility of turning into a crying mess is just too great. I lucked out today. There was no crying to be had.

Chug and I just got back from our early evening walk. I live pretty close to the water and there is a great view point in the park we walk that looks across the Puget Sound out to Vashon and Blake Islands. The sun was about to kiss the Olympic mountains, and we sat at a bench to take in the sunset. A couple walked up the path and asked to join me, so I shoved over to make room for them. There we sat for 10 minutes, not talking, just enjoying this incredible view. As I was sitting there, I remembered that this is why I live here. As the sun disappeared, I looked at the couple and told them that was pretty good, thanked them for joining me. They thanked me for sharing the bench with them, said goodbye to Chug, and we went our separate ways.

Next time I'll take my camera. This time I had a quiet connection with both people and nature which seems to have helped quite a bit and no camera can capture that.