A post by Maynard
People sometimes ask me, “Maynard, how do you maintain your sanity in these trying times?”
I give credit where credit is due. I couldn’t do it alone; I get by with a little help from my friends. My invisible friends, that is. All my real friends are conspiring against me.
When all else fails, I escape into a book. And I don’t mean a political diatribe. Give me a novel. Maybe something outlandish or unusual; perhaps a trifle abstract or symbolic. Intelligent but not academic. Human but not earthbound. Did I mention nothing political?
Taste is a very personal matter. I can’t universally recommend books. All I can say is, this one gave me a much-needed respite from recent events. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami.
It’s a weird fantasy; something of an “Alice in Wonderland” for adults. Somewhat slow-moving, but in a compelling way. Told in the first person, I could relate to the narrator: An ordinary man who gets caught up in events that seem not quite consistent with rational life.
I’ll say no more. This book is not for everyone, but it’s for someone. If any of the foregoing sounds interesting, use the Amazon “Look Inside!” feature and read a few pages. It will either draw you in or it won’t.
I play Mario Kart for therapy. I’m not ashamed.
Here’s how I’m coping with the certainty of my taxes increasing substantially and then being wasted on 4th generation layabouts. I banished TV and radio news from my home and vehicles. No morning shows, no all-Obama, all the time happy chat about his amazing steps and progress. Instead I listen to conservative talk radio while working on the boat, and study for the boat captain’s test.