I’m currently reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, and while I am not yet far enough into it to know whether I can recommend it, I can say that the prose is beautiful. Here’s one of my favorite bits so far (there were several to choose from):
I really can’t tell what’s beautiful anymore. I passed two young fellows on the street the other day. I know who they are, they work at the garage. They’re not churchgoing, either one of them, just decent rascally young fellows who have to be joking all the time, and there they were, propped against the garage wall in the sunshine, lighting up their cigarettes. They’re always so black with grease and so strong with gasoline I don’t know why they don’t catch fire themselves. They were passing remarks back and forth the way they do and laughing that wicked way they have. And it seemed beautiful to me. It is an amazing thing to watch people laugh, the way it sort of takes them over. Sometimes they really do struggle with it. I see that in church often enough. So I wonder what it is and where it comes from, and I wonder what it expends out of your system, so that you have to do it till you’re done, like crying in a way, I suppose, except that laughter is much more easily spent.
I loved that, both because I think people are beautiful when they laugh and because it made me laugh to think of the times I’ve behaved badly in church. (An aside: If you haven’t read that entry, and you need a laugh, go read it and then read the comments on it. hehe.)
I see a lot of different kinds of people at work, and it catches me sometimes: a genuine laugh, the fear and courage in someone’s eyes when they are asking for information on a disease, the pride on a little boy’s face. Of course spring days and autumn leaves and Christmas tree lights are beautiful, but sometimes I forget how beautiful people are when they are just living their lives, loving and being brave and working hard.
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And then there are entries like this that remind us of those beautiful things and share in that beauty as they do so.
you’re pretty
No, you’re pretty.
People are beautiful. It’s how they were made.
I like that, Kari… I see that at the hospital a lot…
I found your site a while ago when I was searching for something about Gilmore Girls, and I keep coming back every once in a while because I enjoy reading a lot of the things you have to say.
I went back and read your post about behaving badly in church and it made me laugh for a couple of minutes. I grew up as a missionary/preacher’s kid so I had to be really careful about my behavior since my parents could always keep an eye on me. I still have problems though, and I have to tell this because it’s so funny. A couple of weeks ago they were having communion at church, and as it was over, in a serious moment, our pastor draped a white sheet back over the trays. I quietly whispered to my husband that it looked like a body (it really did!) and then we both about died laughing. We later joked that maybe the Eucharist really does become the body of Christ!
Okay, I know that was way longer than comments are supposed to be, but all that is to say that I enjoy your site! I will keep coming back.
Beautifully written and I agree! People are beautiful, even we ugly ones.
ummm, mrs. blazer? i think david brent wants to have a word with you on the random board…