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message 51:
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Magdelanye, Senior Flight Attendant
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Jan 13, 2020 12:53PM

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However, there was one experience that perhaps might be considered synchronicity; I first read Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant during a particularly severe episode of seasonal depression. I'd been warned against it, but obstinate bastard that I am I read it during what has up to this point been the most miserable winter and the lowest low of my life, and found some measure of solace in them.
It's a fantasy series that's largely about despair and the various ways people react to it; I'm still conflicted about its title character, and the misery almost hit too close to home at times, but somehow I found them bizarrely uplifting, and it's one of the few books and series where it's left my wondering if I'd be the person I am now if I hadn't read them.


I must be on track!

Yesterday I articulated my clear wish to speak with Patricia before deciding which course to apply for. That night I saw a little notice for a little subgroup I had decided not to join. Could hardly believe it but this morning I showed up at 7 and I got in, there were only 3 participants plus Patricia sitting in for the usual facilitator so it was like a miracle and a conformation.
In not sure how clear this is bit its huge for me so needed to share

on a nice June ninth like this one...well he was up to different things but I thought it was noteworthy

Yesterday, with a dozen pages left to read of Glory, the stupendous tour de force by Noviolet Batawayo, I put the book down to calm myself a bit and made some tea. I had turned the radio off for the news, switched it on again coming back into the room with tea. It was Errol Nazarath introducing his show Frequencies, a favourite show of mine.
It was no surprise then that he started out with an African song but what was surprising was that I recognized some of the words, from the book! The song mentions place
names and people and events that I have been reading about.
It was perfect to listen to that song which indeed turned out be Zimbabwean as i read the last pages.


I believe there is an audio version as well. I was skeptical going in but quickly won over.

I borrowed an audiobook, Zero K by Don deLillo. Last night I listened to the first CD and when I got back from my checkup I crawled back into bed and put on the 2nd cd- which starts off with one of the characters recalling her experience of cataract surgery on her right eye

Hang in there, Magdelanye. You'll feel a lot better in a day or two. Snuggle under the blankets until then.

Two utterly different books, one fiction and the other Patrick Leigh Fermor s travels, on the same day referring to The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Today started Hazards of Time Travel by Joyce Carol Oates. Its a bit uncanny how much this is echoing the Ali Smith I just read. But that's not it.
I have been going through my old notebooks containing all my notes of the last decade or so, Just now I pulled out a notebook and opened it at random--the date on the cover was smudged and I wondered what year it covered. Okay it's probably not synchronicity, more like senility, but the page, rather in the middle of the book was an entry for Hazards of time Travel and my notes. It is not listed as read but here was proof I read this back in 2016. And what are the odds that I'd find this pertinent information at this moment?

I just read a book, too (Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions), that it turns out I've read before (in 2023!!!) and I have no recollection of it. I found that very weird indeed.
Good thing was that I enjoyed it the second time around, as much as it seems like I enjoyed it originally. LOL.

In your case the hidden gifts were thoroughly hidden! I'm glad you are enjoying it again.
With a bit more digging around I found my old review of The Hazards of Time Travel on GR and it appears it was 2019 I read it. That's due to Amazon not marking a book as read if its a different edition.
Books mentioned in this topic
Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions (other topics)Hazards of Time Travel (other topics)
Flights of Love: Stories (other topics)
Second Sight: An Intuitive Psychiatrist Tells Her Extraordinary Story and Shows You How to Tap Your Own Inner Wisdom (other topics)
Sonata for Miriam (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Patrick Leigh Fermor (other topics)Stephen R. Donaldson (other topics)
Jack Kerouac (other topics)