So for my long flights, I ended up reading and finishing Fran and Zooey by J.D Salinger (thanks for the rec Susan!) and most of Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson (thanks Amy!). It's been such a long time since I read for pleasure that it took a while to get in the groove. The first time I tried reading I only made it 30 minutes before getting distracted and deciding to watch the in-flight movie, Terminator Salvation (pretty crappy movie).
Reading is kinda like working out, though. The first couple times after a long hiatus are painful and not very fun, but after awhile, you get back into the groove and things just feel right. By the time I started on Three Cups, it was amazing.
Anyways, both books have been incredible. Salinger has such an interesting way of setting up his "aha" moment that when it comes, it just blows you away. I know because when I stumbled upon it I literally muttered, "Dang!" in appreciation. I'm not going to ruin the moment for you if you decide to check it out, but it really challenged the way I think about how I see the things I do.
Greg Mortenson... seriously this guy reminds me of Pastor Seth. He started off as a mountain climber who fell in love with a remote village in Pakistan and promised to build them a school. It just goes through the ridiculous hurdles and challenges this man went through to see this dream through, and yet how single-minded his focus was. He literally gave everything he had for the village, selling all his possessions and living in poverty for years raising funds.
The thing that really inspires me though is the fact that he wasn't just a "project man", accomplishing his goal, patting himself on his back and peacing out, but he stayed on in the area with the people that he fell in love with. THAT is real passion.
Next up on the docket:
Empire of Illusion: The end of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle by Chris Hedges
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