You may have noticed that I finally finished a couple of books this week—Iris and Her Friends and The Bell. The latter is a fictional study of cause-and-effect, and of the myriad ways people love one another. Oh, there were the other typical themes Murdoch so often employs in her fiction (religion, goodness, history, morality), but these two were the lightest-and-breeziest of the lot and the only ones I had any inclination to pay attention to. I liked this description of the consequences of our actions/behavior:“Our actions are like ships which we may watch set out to sea, and not know when or with what cargo they will return to port.”
This reminds me that even our most thoughtful actions may have unintended results, may lead to consequences that are out of our control. It reminds me that actions are never short-term, that every action has echoes that endure through time and space. Act with care. This mornin
g I tackled the difficult task of choosing a new book to start. As I scanned the spines on a couple of bookshelves, I delighted in spotting about 10 more books I could add to the sale. Then I found a big-type, short novel by Jeanette Winterson that seems perfect for my current mental state. In the first few pages of Lighthousekeeping, I read this timely advice:“And if you can’t survive in this world, you had better make a world of your own.”
That is just what I intend to do, too. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I feel better already knowing I have a goal. And a new story to read. Who needs self-help books when fiction offers both pleasure and guidance?
[Pigeon Point Lighthouse photo by Tyler Westcott.]
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