Monday, December 8, 2008

Lost in the Past

I forgot to blog last night. I was putting together our family's old Super 8 tapes into a DVD. I have made this video over and over during the past year or so for various family members. This time was especially hard though as I haven't watched the film since my grandma died in the spring. It was like watching the "People We Have Lost This Year" footage at the Oscars -- highlights from a lifetime that is now over.

I don't read many books that are solely about loss. I'm a pretty emotional gal and there are just some books that I decide not to read (The Sweet Hereafter). There are others that I don't know much about and so I read them and then emphatically swear that I will never read them again because of the sadness involved (Prayer for Owen Meany). Am I ducking out on an essential part of life or is it okay to avoid something that I feel I get enough of in real life?

And yes, the weather in Seattle has been quite grey ... how did you know?

Putting the melancholy back into the holidays,
K

2 comments:

  1. No need to make yourself read anything you don't want to. You're probably a lot younger than I am but here's my opinion on it. While you are experiencing loss it's often too painful to read about it in books and stories. Often though, when some years have passed, you'll find that bittersweet though it may be, reading about other's loss will actually bring you comfort. If you took a poll you'd find that we all avoid certain themes or subjects in our reading. I'm enjoying going through your blog.

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  2. I appreciate the insight, Sandra. I find that as I get older, I definitely keep changing emotionally. It will be interesting to see how my reading habits change with that.

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