In some of what we read, the intent of the writer is, in part, to ignite reflection. Ursula La Guin’s work is a masterful invitation to think deeply and to ponder the quests we face, both in the world we live in and in our own interior world. Her book, The Wizard of Earthsea is a story that involves shadow, the struggle of light and dark. The protagonist, Sparrow Hawk, finds his quest to be much more about his interior journey than he imagined. I found myself taking that interior journey along with him and discovering the unexpected within.
Like reflective journaling that allows a slower pace to process experiences, that brings deeper things to the surface, that gives us space to focus on what is “speaking” to us, I’ve found that reflective reading offers some of the same benefits. While reading The Wizard of Earthsea reflectively, some valuable lessons, insights and warnings have come to me.
Nonfiction books, not necessarily created for wisdom insights, hold reflective treasures as well. Right now I’m reading Van Gogh: The Life by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith. It’s a very dense story, especially in the beginning as the authors are laying out the foundation. Dutch history and culture, including religious and family culture are woven into the narrative. Unpacking all of that in a way that we can grasp the context of Van Gogh’s life takes some skill, or at least a patient approach.
I couldn’t help but let my thoughts wander over to my own story, with all of the implications of cultural and familial context. My father’s experiences during WWII figured heavily into the kind of home-life we had when I was a child and the 1950’s culture I was raised in was indicative of the larger dysfunction that prevailed at the time. I became a very melancholy child, far too serious for my age and withdrawn from all that was occurring around me, much like with Vincent Van Gogh. Reading about his childhood opened up some understanding about my own beginnings.
Reading about Van Gogh’s tightly packed threads of experience, fraught with knots of complicated mixed messages and equally confusing feelings allowed me to find something of myself in him, a kindred spirit of sorts. I saw the need to loosen and unravel those threads in my life, find their source and identify the individual strings that are knotting up into balls. Both helpful threads and harmful threads need to be untangled in order to gain understanding and find the way forward in the journey.
Good “Story” makes a deposit. It’s up to us to choose how to turn that deposit into an investment. Reflective reading is a valuable tool for just such an endeavor.
When was the last time you read something worthy of reflection?
Writing Prompt for the Week: Unraveling Threads
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