How to reconnect with yourself in micro-steps - through books

Small steps, slowing down, simply being

Another week went by and summer is now trying to make up for the late arrival. We can hardly breathe during the day and it’s not that different during the night (oh on top of the heat we have the pleasure of lots of hungry mosquitos but we all need to live don’t we?). In spite of all of these, I think it is still a small price to pay given how long we’ve been waiting for the sun! 🌞

Photo by James Day on Unsplash

On such days, my mind takes me back to some classic Russian scenes as described by Chekhov in “The cherry orchard”. Memories of long, slow summer days, simple foods and tons of books take over and I find myself stepping out of this reality in a parallel world, the world of the past.

But what is the past? What if past, present and future are one? What if the notion of collapsed time is real? It surely seems real when one hits some trauma related trigger points so it must be the same for other strong evocative moments. During these days I had minutes when I could almost see myself laying on my tummy, in my hot room, on the bed, in the empty flat, “Gone with the wind” in front of me and a plate full of juicy cherries for good company! I loved being on my own, no drama around me, ABBA in the background…. hours of normality.

The truth is that there are not many memories I cherish from those times but this one is definitely on my list.

Much to my joy I still have lots of books, books I haven t even touched and a few days ago I was attracted by “Madeleines in Manhattan”. I like biographical, lyrical books talking about far away lands, about travelling, immigration and the complexities of life. Maybe because I am the second generation moving countries and I want to see how other people dealt with their new realities, maybe because I love stories and storytelling…. who knows …

The last 7 days reminded me of those moments … I listened to music, cooked very simple foods, did my best to stay away from numbing myself by watching trash political commentaries or Harry and Meghan latest non drama and read … read a lot.

Once I finished “Madeleines in Manhattan” I felt the need to reconnect with “The Architect’s Apprentice” by Elif Shafak. Started a year or so ago when I could hardly read a page without being distracted by the fight of flight mode I was living in on a daily basis - my mind feeling like a butterfly trapped in a jar - the book suddenly called me and helped me carry on with the stories within the stories, almost see the mesmerising images of Istanbul in the sixteenth century, the Ottoman Empire and the beautifully crafted characters, multilayered, absorbing, addictive. Hours went by without me even moving! This is the power of a good storyteller. This is why I devour Elif Shafak’s books and can’t wait for her next one and the next one and the next one!

Those moments are magical. The happiness bubbles dance all over my body and I find myself being in the zone, not wanting to be anywhere else, do anything else. It is a privilege and although such moments come with baggage attached to it, I am grateful.

As I was browsing my book shelves and felt as if I was in a bookshop, another title caught my attention, this time, a book in Romanian, an autobiography - Farah Pahlavi, the last Iranian Queen.

Iran has always been a land I had a lot of respect for! My first encounter with a his land started in childhood when I read the “The epic of Gilgamesh ”, continued when I fell in love with the ancient world, when I deliberately searched for books about Teheran and last but not least when I bought a few cookery books written by passionate Iranian chefs with a deep respect for the land, the people, the stories.

We know so little! If our source of information is the box in the room projecting whatever is considered acceptable at a particular historical moment in time we are in serious trouble. Intolerance, narrow views, racism, labelling nations, people without the tiniest of research infuriates, upsets and at times depresses me. This is why I love going to various information sources, this why speaking a few languages helps as you can access different information sources, and in doing do, you can at least try to understand what is behind people’s smiles, lives, histories. I do recommend Farah’s biography and I am sure you will feel the need to know more about their history, religion, political realities, food, culture.

How do I feel after these slow, blessed days, intimately connected with books?

Rejuvenated, peaceful, calm ready to face the next challenges.

During communist times, we had just a couple of hours of TV every evening, most of it was not exciting at all. Because of that nobody was addicted to watching TV and I am sure because of that we, Romanians read a lot! Lots of things were not that bad in those times you know?

Until next time, be well!

INSPIRATION CORNER

MUSIC - listen to it when you need to rest and find peace

KUNDALINI YOGA - ABOUT MANTRA

A MOVIE - The Cherry Orchard - an English interpretation