A great Op Ed was published in the NY Times this weekend, "Your Brain on Fiction" about the profound role that reading fiction plays in enriching our lives and relationships - and as I see it, on the trajectory of the world. Annie Murphy Paul gets into it in very simple terms: "Individuals who frequently read fiction seem to be better able to understand other people, empathize with them and see the world from their perspective."
Who doesn't say (these days, regularly): IF ONLY WE COULD GET ALONG, HEAR EACH OTHER, COLLABORATE.
Life is fiction, for sure. Within a chapter we can take a drastic turn for the worse, OR we are only a plot twist away from fame, glory, salvation, or just a little happiness. Great fiction is always about what we have to give up in the process. And because lives, like fiction, are neatly divided into Parts with many chapters means that there is always the hope of regaining what matters, what we love, what makes up fulfillment.
I haven't been on a plane in months - months and months. My (life) fiction to this point has included, in every Part, travel. And as this particular one evolves, I worry that travel is what I am giving up. I grieve a little at the thought.
Creative escape. Here are 10 minutes of therapy in a Part without travel.
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