Hilary’s Comments (group member since Jun 05, 2011)

Hilary’s comments from the Crazy Sanity group.

First of all I would like to share with you my favorite quote. Richard from Texas to Groceries - "You need a droughtbreaker, baby. Gotta go find yo'self a rainmaker." And yes, for those of you who have not finished reading the book, this has nothing to do with our current weather situation! Sadly I think I should take this advice.

Moving on now, I just want to say that my favorite thing about this book was how it made me think seriously about how I live my life while making me laugh out loud with the very next line. I may not be married or have the house or any of the other things that Liz found she did not really want, but I can understand how it feels to be living a great life that should be perfect, but still somehow feel unhappy. I know that I have a great family, awesome friends, a fulfilling job, and a purposeful life, but I still get the feeling sometimes that something is missing. I also really like how the beginning was tied in to the ending. The thought that your future self could literally communicate with you is a bit out there I know, but on some level at least, there is that voice in your head that tells you something needs to change or that something is wrong and this was just a unique way of expressing that.

Now I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think a lot of people have had relationships with someone like “David”. You know, the one where things are great for a little while, then go south, then you think “why didn’t we work?” So you try again only to realize that nothing has changed and that you would be better off without that particular relationship, but at the same time you can’t get that person out of your head … the whole thing just makes you CRAZY!

I can personally attest that when things are weighing down on you, there is nothing better than just packing up and taking off to conquer the world! Of course my little vacation was only 10 days in one country, but it was most definitely a life-changing experience. At first, I wasn’t sure what it was that I was hoping for, but along the way I realized that my life had been opened up to something bigger … the rest of the world! While some things were still extremely familiar, it was still eye-opening to stop and think about how people in other parts of the world live. The things we take for granted, other people have never heard of, much less experienced for themselves. To be able to fully immerse yourself in another culture the way Liz did must be a truly enlightening and enriching experience. And in my opinion, all food tastes better when you are on vacation, even the eggs and toast I had for breakfast!

I found Liz’s journey in India to be particularly interesting because it highlights many things I have thought about myself. I also like her explanation that she is not looking for what any one specific religion considers God, but rather something that is simply divine, and bigger than any one of us. I also get the feeling sometimes that I am looking for something without really knowing what it is that I am looking for. We get caught up in the everyday things and sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. “Life, if you keep chasing it so hard, will drive you to death.” I think it is important to find something in your life that gives you perspective. One of the best quotes in my opinion about this comes from the Upanishads: “People follow different paths, straight or crooked, according to their temperament, depending on which they consider best, or most appropriate - and all reach You, just as rivers enter the ocean.” This quote really touched my because I often feel that I don’t necessarily agree with how some of the major religions depict God, and how they think we should worship, or pray. To put it simply, it is my opinion that “God knows who you are and He knows where you live!” … so to speak. But in all seriousness, people respond differently to physical factors such as medications, diets, etc. and emotional factors such as grief and joy; so it only makes sense to me that people would come to God in their own way as well, on their own terms.

One of my favorite scenes from the book was Liz’s “conversation” with her ex on the rooftop of the Ashram. I think we sometimes get in out own way when trying to find happiness, peace, or even closure. We insist that we need answers, or reasons, or motivations, when really all we need to do is get out of our own way and let go. “It all goes away. Eventually, everything goes away.” I realize that this unfortunately applies to good things and bad, but I have no problem embracing the positive side of this, which allows me to focus on the fact that no matter how bad things may seem, or how stressful life is, or how annoying something may be … eventually, it WILL go away. Sometimes you just have to realize that you only need to relax and take life as it comes!

Elizabeth Gilbert

UPDATE: I think we have all agreed that we will be changing our reading deadline form 2 weeks to 4. This will give everyone more time to finish the books, especially some longer ones, while also dealing with life. Also, I think it would be a good idea to go ahead and post your reviews/comments as soon as you finish the book, while it is still fresh on your mind rather than waiting for a specific date. If you don't want to read any spoilers, don't read the posts until you have finished the book. Any comments, questions, etc. ... just post em here or send em my way. Thanks!

First off, I just gotta say I loved the title of this one. I also found it interesting since it was set in Fredericksburg and Austin. I think we could all relate to the small Texas town feel of the relationships between the characters. Even Kaylee's cousin was from Corpus. I just thought it was cool that I actually knew the places being mentioned in a book for once. Maybe that's just me though.

I do think that the ending was a little anticlimactic though. It was weird because I stopped reading right before the whole surfing accident, and then when I was ready to get back into it, it was like all of a sudden everything is resolved and everyone gets a happily ever after. Just felt a little rushed I guess. Again, maybe that's just me though.

Cheryl Delany

Pamela DuMond

We will try to take turns selecting the books up for discussion. This first one was chosen by Bri, next will be Sandra, then Hilary, Sarah, and Chelsea.

When it is your turn to select the book, just message Hilary or Bri and they will post it to the group. You can also add a brief description of why you would like to read the book, but it is not required.

The group will then have 2 weeks to read the book. At the end of this time, the online discussion will begin, as well as the 2 week reading period for the next book. This means that on June 20th, we will begin discussing our first book. On June 21st we will post the next book to begin reading. This does not mean that ALL posting for the first book must be done on the 20th. Discussions may continue as long as members have anything to add to them.

Gracias!