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As they come to mind:
a great boyfriend, a comfortable home in a neighborhood I like, a cuddly and weird dog, caring parents, a trustworthy brother, the US public library system, Netflix, hot tea, the Internet, dollar menus, a business growing in connections and possibilities, courageous people who are out there saving the world through actions big and small
Happy Thanksgiving, All!
I started thinking the following thoughts after reading this post by a secular home-schooling mom. She’s chronicling the year as she and her son learn about US history together.
As an adult who loves history, I remember that my earliest joys with the subject were also all about the heroes. They were inspiring and certainly much more interesting than the people of today.
I, too, wanted to tramp around the woods and test my mettle against the elements and the world—to rectify wrongs through the glory of gunfire.
It wasn’t until high school that the grays of life crept in. Heroes weren’t all good and villains weren’t all bad. But I had to wait until college to really have access to the full-bodied knowledge that does exist.
Still, I know that I wouldn’t have been able to process this information as a child. My early love, though, allowed me to stay with the subject and eventually develop more balanced interpretations.
I know that I also feel the urge to push moral developments when sharing my enthusiasm for history with children. It’s frustrating to know that restraint is the better course. I can only imagine how much more difficult this process would be if I was teaching my own son.
I’ve read through the first sections of this mom’s blog so far. I’m in admiration.
Douglas Adams is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Part travelogue, part adventure journal, and part biology lesson, this book is Douglas Adams’s first-person account of his journeys to see some of the most-rare and most-endangered animals left on our planet.
I often describe science fiction as applied philosophy so I feel that the creators of science fiction are especially qualified to comment on contemporary issues. Science fiction writers have to think about the possible consequences of our decisions today, and luckily for us, Douglas Adams is able to do so with a huge amount of humor.
You are going to laugh out loud at his descriptions and exploits, but he doesn’t allow the humor to overshadow the reasons behind his trips.
The beauty and wonder he conveys about our world is going to give you travel fever. And since he doesn’t hit you with a sledgehammer of morality, you’ll get to appreciate these strange and unique animals through an artist’s eye. Without politics, without eco-guilt, he’s going to tell you his message using a storyteller’s tools.
Audiobook Challenge status: eight completed, four to go.