Alchemy

I enjoyed the Alchemist. Thanks Nick. The subject matter (following your dreams/destiny) and the way it was presented (third-person omniscient narrator) really force introspective thought - something I like doing anyway.

The story invites us to find and pursue our personal legend. It glorifies those that pursue their dreams saying that the universe conspires to help them, that God is with them, that they will know the soul and language of the world, etc. etc. At the same time, it treats those that choose local, safe and secure paths as cowards who are no more than sheep only seeking food and water. You'll recall the crystal shop owner who won't go to Mecca and the Baker who wanted to travel that didn't as examples.

The only problem I had with the story is that I felt it didn't give the reader any credit. In the story, the boy was asked to 'read the omens' by paying attention to subtle signals that the desert/nature was presenting. He would come to know the language and soul of the world through this process. Yet, the author didn't give the reader omens to follow, we were herded along like the sheep. Instead of being asked to read subtle signals, we were beaten over the head with plain, repetitious statements of his thesis (following heart/legend =good, being a sheep/settling = cowardly).

It was entertaining to read and as I wrote previously, it forced me to look at my life decisions critically. I enjoyed the idea that things were continually evolving--lead to copper to gold. The idea that everything has a personal legend to improve, at which point the personal legend changes so that the evolution continues.

When I was younger I just knew (you could say it was in my heart) that I was going to be a baseball player and that I was going to be a good one. My commitment to my dream was challenged continually by the lack of stability in my legs. I pushed toward my dream only to have it fail spectacularly. I thought that harder work and more fervent prayers could make up the difference but they didn't or couldn't. I don't know if it was stubbornness or if I just needed to learn lessons from the fruitless struggling but I kept pursuing it despite the pain. Nowadays, I like to think that baseball had nothing left to teach me and that's why I was sent in a new direction, toward new legends. Perhaps I had already become copper or something. Perhaps I quit right before I was about to break through. Maybe if I had tried to come back from the back surgery and accepted the independent league offers for scraps... Who knows, right?

Anyway, I'd like to hear other opinions on the book and/or some of your personal legends. I would also like to invite Cameron back to the blog once again. Cam, I am formally apologizing for calling you pseudo-open-minded or something like that a while ago. I was joking but after re-reading my post, I'm not sure it came across that way.

Ben

August book

We need a book for August? I really liked having a good short read this month, thanks Nick. Any thoughts?

Long time

Hey everybody. Sorry for the prolonged hiatus. Life has been crazy, as I have seen that all of yours have as well. I just wanted to send out a little update on what is going on with me, and let you know that I haven't fallen off the face of the planet. I finally finished taking Step 1 of the medical boards and got my score back. Suffice it to say that I am pleasantly surprised with how well I did. They don't give us much time between 2nd and 3rd year, as 3rd year has already started. I am now in the hospital on rotations acting like a "real" doctor. At least my patients generally think of me as a doctor, even though no one else does. It is a lot of work, and I am still adjusting to waking up everyday at 5 just to be at work until 5-10, depending if I have call. I am on the Internal Medicine service right now, meaning that people who get admitted to the hospital overnight or for a few days are those who we take care of. I don't really like Medicine, meaning Internal Medicine, but I am learning a ton about the politics of the health care system, as well as the many inefficiencies. My schedule for the year will consist of Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Surgery, Psych, Neurology, and Anesthesia.

Sorry for not writing much. I have felt too overwhelmed to even check my email most days. I do read all of the posts, and I enjoy reading about what is going on in everyone's life. I don't know when I will have time to start reading for leisure again, but I hope things calm down in a month or two. I hope everyone's moves, work, school, families, etc. are doing fine. I really enjoy having you all as friends. Keep in touch.

Boys to Men

I'm not sure how many of you remember the newsletter that Mrs. Hatch was kind enough to circulate for us when we were mission age. I was going through some old mission letters and I stumbled across them. Unbelievable. These must be the most hilarious things I have ever read. In an effort to revive the blog somewhat and to maybe bring Dave on board I am going to publish Dave's entry into the newsletter for September 2002. This is unedited:

This two-minute drill of September goes out to the month itself. I don't think September gets enough play. The months before, June July, and August, everyone loves because it is summer break. October, November and December everyone remembers for the Holidays. And what happens to September, it gets lost in the middle and no one cares to think about how September must feel. Well, there it is September; I know how you are feelin'.
-First off, BASEBALL
-more than 50% use steroids
-Ted Williams dies 3 days before the baseball all-star game
-They end the all-star game in a tie
-Is this soccer???
-and now they are going to strike on Friday.
-God save baseball and America
-I don't like much church music.
-Maybe because it is the only thing we can listen to on the mission or because every choir grad. from BYU thinks they can make their own church cd!
-marijuana-I smoke it because it's green, if it was white, I'd sniff it.
-band name- 3 more 4 milk
-I have been in 3 wrecks with Frank
-Olive Garden, Church parking lot (cedar), and the railroad tracks
-Has anyone seen my congressional medal of honor?
-Smurf's b-day = July 22
-sorry to my beloved friend on that one
-Jason Lang's parents are moving to Silicon Valley
-We can go there and then go see Benny play
_Ben, don't go pro until after your sophomore year, so I can see you play.
-I am still junior comp.
-18 weeks without a baptism
-I am losing my hair
-and I got piss all over my pants
-transfers are next week and all things could be getting better here soon!
-Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He is the Son of God,
-He restored the gospel to His prophet Joseph Smith.
-Through him we have the only true church on the face of the earth.
-Stay strong in the service of the Lord.
-this life is a battle until the end and I hope that everyone is geared up!
-much love to all of you. Even the ones who stopped writing.
Eat. Spit. Be happy.
Elder David Muir

And that is why Dave is one of my favorite people in the world! I hope you all enjoy that as much as I did. Everyone gave a valiant effort to be consistently funny in the newsletter and Dave was by far number one!

Life

Since Frank just gave a quick update I liked that idea and decided I will do the same. First though, I just finished the Alchemist and it is quite an easy read. There is a lot in it though so I did have to slow down a few times. I promise that this book will offer some of the best conversation that we have had yet if we all read it. I loved it and it taught me more lessons than three years of Junior High. Not including the day Senor Fuller kicked the door and whacked that Matt Allen kid doing a walk out protest. But anyways, life has been crazy the past month. It was exactly a month ago today that I was on a cruise in Alaska and got a text message from the girl I was dating stating that she had kissed her ex-boyfriend. Since then we got back together exclusively only to end it for good. But thank goodness for Facebook as a lot of girls saw how much fun we were having and it was easy to get all their numbers again.
I met this little latin looking honey that has my attention right now so we will see?
I just got back from Chicago where I went to my grandpa's funeral. That was the first death I've experienced really and it was actually a great reminder of how to live life. My grandpa was a great man and never showed anything but love.
Work is actually going well again, amazing what happens when you put in the time. That is probably the best part about being single is that I have a lot of time for work and reading books.
Overall though, I really cant complain. I'm off to have a roman candle war at Belmont though so I'll check in another time! Suckas!

Yeeeaaaahhhh!

I was starting to think it was all my random ideas and frequent posts that drove everyone away. That may be the case still, but it's nice to see people coming back! Hopefully Cameron, Clint, Hatch and Dave will chime in soon. It's hard to get back in the habit once you've been out of it.

A nice short easy read sounds good to me. I'll be picking up my copy of The Alchemist as soon as I can.

As far as a life update goes... I am currently working part time for Jimmy while I go back to school. I took three summer classes (Gen Ed stuff) and I'm almost finished with them. Makelle still works at the bakery decorating cakes. We just rented out our house and we are in the process of moving all our stuff to Makelle's family's house in Woods Cross. This should give us a chance for Makelle to get back into school this fall as well. We are pretty busy, but everyone is at this stage in life, right?!

I love you all very much and I'm excited to recommit to staying in touch.

No excuses...

No one should be able to say that they couldn't read the book this month due to lack of time/availability. At 170 pages, double spaced, it couldn't be an easier read. And to make it even easier, iTunes is offering the book as a FREE download for those who would like to listen to it! So no excuses! Go get it, post your comments, keep in touch, yada, yada, yada...

..."The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho