Book Review: A Real Life

Another post NOT about the Midwest. I really do need to rename this blog :)

Okay, so in my search for my own little “happily ever after”, I’ve begun reading the book A Real Life, by Ferenc Mate.  I thought it might give me some insight on how to live a simpler life (in my mind that means with less money because my career is rolling downhill) in the hopes that I would inadvertently stumble upon happiness (without the need of a lot of money because, again, the career thing).  Unfortunately, I’m getting a little frustrated.  So far, he has described a life that is completely unattainable unless you were lucky enough to grow up in Mayberry and smart enough to never leave.

My present neighborhood, and the neighborhood I grew up in, epitomizes the evils he outlines in this book!  Suburbs where no one knows their neighbors and you must walk through an enormous parking lot to buy a loaf of plastic-wrapped bread in a huge supermarket from an unknown cashier (wait a second, you don’t even need the cashier since the invention of the self-checkout).  Fenenc’s ideal world would contain the ability to walk to the local bakery and buy fresh baked bread from a woman you’ve known since childhood.  Well, that’s not going to happen for me.  I suppose I will continue to read this book in the hopes that there are a few little tidbits about how to live a “real” life that I can actually incorporate into my life.  

Regardless of what the book says, my condo in Northern KY isn’t looking too good for the long run.  I’ve been there almost a year and the only neighbor I interact with is the noisy neighbor and the only interactions are me asking him to “keep it down”.  Yesterday he was standing on his balcony yelling at the TV.  I mean really, do you have to stand outside of your home and yell into the door at your TV?!!!  Who does that?!!! In his defense, he said he was watching some sports program (apparently it’s ok to yell at the TV if it’s sports) and smoking (that’s why he was watching TV from the balcony rather than inside).

Whew, I just reread this and I think I got up on the wrong side of the bed!  I’ll try to keep my next book review more upbeat.

Ciao for now!