THACKLEY TRUMPIT MAY 2014 FORMERLY OF THIS PARISH

Formerly of this Parish

A Good BookA Blog from John Woods

I always begin to slow down as I near the end of a good book. Its like the approach of a parting, from a friend, (they are emigrating) the end of an opportunity for direct interaction which, once arrived at will change the relationship. Good books, fiction or none fiction are companions with whom the relationship is both stimulating and a two way event. The information or the story told weaves its way into your make up, into who you are as we absorb experiences that strike a note in our own experience and substantiate our opinion. The profound pleasure of reading is in this melding of our own memories or opinion into the narrative, we are not alone and are rewarded by the camaraderie. The books on my shelves form the backbone of who I am in so far as they track my interests down through the years. They still speak to me as they did years ago and on opening a book one is, like Alice drawn into another world. Reading brings another persons perspective, you might not agree with it but you learn from it and if for no other reason, it enlightens you to the fact that your 'fact' is only one of many. How we fall into the surety of our own opinions and prejudice how resilient we are to argument against our way of thinking. One of the pleasures of doing a blog is that my own thoughts, however inadequate are placed on a page for   others to consider. I thought that writing a blog would release from others their own opinions even their inner conviction but its surprising how few have the time or inclination to take up the pen. I believe writing is cathartic it allows one to vent off the frustration that we sometimes feel  because of our inability to effect change.
We are becoming more and more ineffectual as the globalisation of our lives means that decisions taken have little  local relevance and we are cast into the turbulence of 21st century, short termism  with little or no reference to our own way of living.Only through expressing ones own feelings or reading literature which resonates with our own experience can we find a footing in this pressured life we lead.         

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