circle of quiet

Thursday, I'll have had it for six weeks 

- the maximum time allowed by the library -

but I still haven't managed to finish it.

Which is a bummer; I really liked the book.

I have an old receipt as a bookmark

(do ya'll do this - just grab whatever scrap you can find?)

and I've scribbled down page numbers on it

where I found quotes I particularly liked.

I don't regularly do that.

Well, one time I borrowed The Read-Aloud Handbook

and returned if with about 20 tiny scraps of toilet paper in it

(what?! two squares of toilet paper was my bookmark....)

and when I borrowed it again, happy day,

they were all still in there.

Those are the books I think I should probably just own,

the ones I have all marked up.

Or rather, they would be marked up if I owned them...

- as a side note ~ if you have children

or have any part in the educating of children, I highly recommend

The Read Aloud Handbook -

Anyways,

I only made it to page 111 in A Circle of Quiet,

which captivated me from the very beginning, because I could so identify with it,

 when L'Engle wrote: Every so often I need OUT; something will throw me into total disproportion, and I have to get away from everybody - away from all these people I love most in the world - in order to regain a sense of proportion.

Sometimes I feel horrible, because I just. need. a. break.

but somehow, her saying it didn't sound bad at all - just normal.

Some of the other thoughts I especially liked are

When we are self-conscious, we cannot be wholly aware: we must throw ourselves out first. This throwing ourselves away is an act of creativity. So when we wholly concentrate, like a child in play, or an artist at work, then we share in the act of creating. We not only escape time, we escape our self-conscious selves. 
Actually - everything on page 11 is great.

from page 43 If we are given minds we are required to use them, but not limit ourselves by them. Continuing on the subject of creativity, page 46 is great, too...

Page 99 has some excellent thoughts, though not related to creativity.

Pages 109-110 had two questions for young people to ask themselves

 regarding how their relationship with someone 'special' effects them 

(yes - this book really is all over the place. 

I think that's part of why I've been so slow in reading it. 

I love it; but it requires a great deal of concentration - something that I often lack.)

The questions are: Are you functioning at a better level than usual?  

and 

How are your relations with the rest of  the world? 

Of course, she expounds on these questions....

My very favorite quote (so far) from A Circle of Quite comes from page 45

and I think if we could all remember it, the world would be a better place.

Love is not an emotion. 

It is a policy.

I'll just need to check it out again in a week or so,

for another six weeks, so I can finish it.

I wonder what other gems I will find hidden in its pages.