Frank McCourt’s (1930 - 2009)passing inspired the subject matter of the first part of today’s blog.
When I was growing up, my family often took car trips to Mexico. We did not go solely for just across- the-border shopping trips, but for actual family vacations. We drove from Houston to Tampico or to Mexico City. Dad always insisted on taking the out of the way minor roads, rather than the main highways. He wanted his children to see the way people lived in the small towns and impoverished villages. Once we arrived at our final destination, a beach front resort or luxurious metropolitan mecca, our wise patriarch was assured his family knew how fortunate we were. Now, whenever I sense that I am falling into that self absorbed downward spiral of lamenting about being middle class, instead of a Rothschild or Kennedy, I find something to lift me up to reality. Rater than spending almost a trillion dollars to gas up the vehicle to travel to a neighboring country, rule Texas, or even a Houston ghetto, all I have to do is turn to a good book. The following is a combination recession challenge and reading recommendation.
Read a borrowed library book or DVD instead of going to the movie theater. Stay home from the movie theatre. You CAN wait to see The Half Blood Prince when it comes out on Netflix (only $15.99 a month; better fee than cable), DVD, or broadcast television. Unless you can walk or bike to the theatre, staying home will save gasoline, too. Reading the book will also save electricity used by the television and DVD player. Most neighborhoods have a public library branch within walking or biking distance. Re-read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince; no money out of your pocket. Instead of complaining about the recession, unless you have lost employment, cancel your pity party and check out a good book to draw you back to reality. Suggestions for you and kids (from age 12), too.
Books with characters who deal with poverty:
Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt
The Good Earth, Pear S. Buck
Ellen Foster, Kaye Gibbons
The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
Fat Kid Rules the World, K. L.Going
Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
How to Steal a Dog, Barbara O’Connor
Part II
Memories of Childhood Past
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