Why me or you? Why not me or you?

Why me or you? Why not me or you? Fate does not discern between good and bad.

Imagine though, you’ve had a great afternoon with a good friend, sitting on the deck, sharing your stories good and bad. You leave with a sense of being understood, having learned something new, and most importantly, coming to terms with your own issues.

That is what Rebecca Solnit’s books are. A sense of communion and peace. Reflection and comparison. The Faraway Nearby is that experience. This one is about our parents. The stories we tell about them and the darker or sad moments. The aging parent jealous of their child, loving but shaky in their own sense of being – as Dr. Frankenstein – thrilled at what they have created but also a little afraid.

Solnit’s real journey and depiction of the frozen far north is about peaceful isolation, taking a break from the problems one must deal with but cannot fully resolve. Along the way, we learn interesting facts about that environment: the poisoning of the north shows up in toxic mother’s milk in Greenland (due to ocean currents), and polar bears eating their own as the food supply diminishes. In times of trouble, we may devour ourselves because there is no one we can reach on such an intimate level.

This is an incredible read if there is any confusion or conflict in your family relations.

The Faraway Nearby

Rebecca Solnit Viking 2013