I've been mulling over a variety of things lately. I suppose it comes from traveling, meeting people from different backgrounds, hearing different languages, learning about others' experiences. Now I'm settled for a few weeks, staying in Lincoln County, Montana, doing a few bookstore events here. And at the moment thinking about postcards and two recent books I've read.
I send a lot of postcards. Even with the batches I manged on my recent trip, there are still more people I want to write if I only I had more time. I mentioned my passion for sending postcards to others on that trip, hoping to encourage them. Think of it as sharing your trip with the recipients, I said. Think of it as a small gift to people you care about. Think of it as supporting the local economy (if you are purchasing postcards). Think of the joy you give the person who opens their mailbox and finds amidst bills and ads, a personal note from you with an exotic stamp. Going down this rabbit hole, I remember the Griffin and Sabine trilogy, fascinating books by Nick Bantock. And Letters from Felix, a children's book based on letters and postcards by Annette Langen who has written numerous other books that include actual letters and postcards. So this is a nudge if you are traveling or staying home to consider sending postcards to friends and family.
Two books I recently read deserve to be mentioned. Both are poignant stories, both stretch across personal generations, both encouraged me to consider how we made decisions, and where those decisions lead. The Singing Stick by Phyllis Cole-Dai centers around a man with dementia, his wife's unwillingness to seek help, the man's attempt to find a way to navigate the world he finds himself in. The setting, characters and the music that provides a thread throughout this story require the reader to consider the histories that shape us, and where help can unexpectedly be found.
I discovered Touch by Olaf Olafsson in a bookstore when in Reykjvik, Iceland. The protagonist is Icelandic although the novel is mainly set in London and Japan. A young man drops out of university and eventually becomes a successful restaurant owner and cook. A young woman living with her Japanese father in London abruptly leaves with him, stopping her studies. How do we make decisions true to who we are, that shape who we will become? How do we manage our regrets?
PDX Correspondence Co-op
I Wish to Say
PostSecret
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