(no subject)

[proximoception]

Instead I read:

12. Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Least likely reread of my life, too. Aloud to my wife, whose book club selected it over her objection. My 6th grade teacher made us, which is weird because it's kind of explicitly anti-Christian, but she was Catholic and I guess they let the Pope worry about those details. I didn't hear a word about it again until the Dutch narcissist Julie worked under one summer loaned her a copy. I told her not to read it no matter what she did.

The narcissist said she was a 'Buddhist slash atheist' which I guess fits the book, kind of? It's more of a Vedanta/The-Secret-type-Gnostic/Sports-inspirational hybrid, but it's also pretty much the narcissist manual. Jonathan is special, you see, maybe the most special ever - but the others don't understand him. But he'll show them. And they'll thank him. For he will show the way to perfection. But hahaha he's not a god he's just a gull like us. We too can be like him! It will take many lifetimes but he is patient as well as swell in the other ways. The trick is to realize our body is a thought of ours, as we are a thought of the Great Gull's. You can become anything you want if you just think different (while hoping he doesn't)!

It was actually very Broadway and that's how I played it. Channeling my high school's production of The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket.

Comments

[canonfire.livejournal.com]

I just couldn't finish that '70s spiritual pulp. I confess that I hate most "inspirational" writing as I find it contains as much tripe as the bulls of Pamplona.

[maga-dogg.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I found this pretty fucking smug and handwavy even when I was a tween being stupid about Buddhism and Christianity.

It might work better if you have no experience with actual seagulls, who upon achieving transcendence would mostly use astral projection to stab people for their lunch.

[agoraphiliac.livejournal.com]

Shocker. I never could've guessed you'd reread that.

I remember feeling depressed by this book in 6th or 7th grade. I was sure I couldn't think myself into some other state of being, and the book made me feel bad about that failing.

[maga-dogg.livejournal.com]

See, I was fairly sure that I could, but I was also fairly convinced that I didn't want that state of being to be Smug Tosser Messiah.

[karinmollberg.livejournal.com]

Hehehe. I was given that book by someone who told me I would need it, it would change my life, see. I decided not to read it for exactly that reason and still haven´t so my life, naturally, went down the drain because I simply refused to understand. Now, late in life, I understand why. Thanks.