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One Way Ticket to Anywhere (book)
May. 3rd, 2016 07:31 pmI can't call this a book review. I didn't read it closely. I scanned it. I was looking for my brother.
At brother G's funeral, one of his high school buddies motorcycled the width of Texas to join us. He told stories of G in high school. One of the stories he told was about their high school buddy Rich, who wrote a book about his high school experience. The story was that Rich sent a copy to G... And G reacted negatively. Made them change his name. I looked up the book on Amazon. For a self-published autobiography, it seemed to get pretty good reviews. Only one 1-star review... Which was clearly my brother's G review! *laugh*
So I found the copy of the book in G's house and brought it back to Texas with me. I scanned the first half... He had a tough life, functionally abandoned by his parents. My life was busy in the present and I don't find autobiographies interesting, even when they take place in such familiar settings. So I wasn't making any progress on reading the book... Until I mentioned the book to my other brother. Who said he remembered being told about one of G's friends staying with us during G's senior high school year. I don't remember this! So I went back to the book.
This evening I found my brother. Yeah, Rich changed the name.... by one single letter. Ha! He was vivid in his description of my brother. But... oddly kind. He clearly saw much to dislike in G, but at the same time... He saw underlying compassion. When so many people in the Rich's life were letting him down, G talked to our parents to invite Rich into our house.
And there were my parents. My house. Me. Me! I don't even know what to say about the section with me in it. It is so strange to see an event (even one I don't remember!) from someone else's perspective.
Rich didn't think much of my father. Found him pompous. Difficult to talk to on the rare occasion when they were alone together. But... really proud of his children. Really really proud of his children. Rich envied us that. ...Yeah, I always felt that my father was proud of us. It made me miss my father.
Rich liked my mother a lot. He described her physically, which I suppose would be memorable to someone that age. But he said they talked a lot and... it meant a great deal to him. That made me miss my mother.
It was short, but a very emotional chapter for me.
At brother G's funeral, one of his high school buddies motorcycled the width of Texas to join us. He told stories of G in high school. One of the stories he told was about their high school buddy Rich, who wrote a book about his high school experience. The story was that Rich sent a copy to G... And G reacted negatively. Made them change his name. I looked up the book on Amazon. For a self-published autobiography, it seemed to get pretty good reviews. Only one 1-star review... Which was clearly my brother's G review! *laugh*
So I found the copy of the book in G's house and brought it back to Texas with me. I scanned the first half... He had a tough life, functionally abandoned by his parents. My life was busy in the present and I don't find autobiographies interesting, even when they take place in such familiar settings. So I wasn't making any progress on reading the book... Until I mentioned the book to my other brother. Who said he remembered being told about one of G's friends staying with us during G's senior high school year. I don't remember this! So I went back to the book.
This evening I found my brother. Yeah, Rich changed the name.... by one single letter. Ha! He was vivid in his description of my brother. But... oddly kind. He clearly saw much to dislike in G, but at the same time... He saw underlying compassion. When so many people in the Rich's life were letting him down, G talked to our parents to invite Rich into our house.
And there were my parents. My house. Me. Me! I don't even know what to say about the section with me in it. It is so strange to see an event (even one I don't remember!) from someone else's perspective.
Rich didn't think much of my father. Found him pompous. Difficult to talk to on the rare occasion when they were alone together. But... really proud of his children. Really really proud of his children. Rich envied us that. ...Yeah, I always felt that my father was proud of us. It made me miss my father.
Rich liked my mother a lot. He described her physically, which I suppose would be memorable to someone that age. But he said they talked a lot and... it meant a great deal to him. That made me miss my mother.
It was short, but a very emotional chapter for me.
