Tuesday, December 4, 2018

338/365/Happy Free-for-All

When I get to Portland, I try to remember to stuff my coat pocket with dollar bills before I go out. There are plenty of homeless people on the street asking for money, and I won’t open up my purse once I’m out there.

On Friday, I gave a man a couple of bucks, but he tried to get me to stay for conversation. I told him I had someplace to be, which was only half true. He told me I looked like a prominent person. I assured him I was not. He asked me if I remembered when I was young and I would hear a voice telling me to do something. I thought I knew what he was getting at and said Maybe. He said, Always listen to that voice. I told him it was hard to do. But he repeated it. And I told him it was good advice.

That pushed me in a direction I was headed in anyway. A friend of mine (the one whose shirt we stole) published a self-help book last year. I bought it, I read it, but I wasn’t connecting to it the way I should, given what I know about her. I couldn’t turn off my copyeditor side completely and was aware of that—little things bothered me. And I had to pick it up/put it down, and I lost the thread a little. And did I mention it’s a self-help book? (subtitle: discovering the finest, truest place within you)

Not long after, she recorded it, and I knew I would eventually want to listen to it, in her voice. I was sure—at least I hoped—it would be a completely different experience for me. Amazon has been sending me Audible free-trial offers, and at last, with the homeless guy’s voice in my head and the determination for this to be a month to write about happy things and get into a happier place, I got my free download of Anna’s book.

I’ve listened to it during two workouts now, and so far, I’m loving it. So much of that is hearing her ideas in her voice. I’ll let you know when I finish, but I’d recommend the listen.

7 comments:

  1. "I assured him I was not". That cracked me up.

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  2. I love this. Getting life advice from the homeless guy. I have something written, and have always intended recording it too, for publication.

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  3. I'm glad you listened to the homeless man. (Clare tells me that we should say houseless* now -- who knew?)

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    1. I meant to add something about the term houseless, thus the asterisk, but changed my mind. I really didn't listen to her explanation -- mostly because I was annoyed she corrected me.

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    2. Houseless makes sense to me. I get it.

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  4. I am convinced you should heed the homeless guy, who may or may not be divine, but you know the word "self-help" gives me hives.

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  5. I've read this book somewhere. I think he was actually a prince dressed up as a pauper. Since you were kind, I think you can expect a very impressive gift to be dropped off any day now. Also, I'm glad you think about folks like this and plan for them. I try to remember when I go to Toronto, though I grab a handful of loonies and toonies, since we don't have $1 or $2 bills anymore.

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