Another update from my spot in front of the Tivo
For those of you that don’t know, this season’s Amazing Race has a deaf guy on it. He’s racing with his mom and they are a good team. Of course, every time he’s interviewed, he says he wants to show the world that deaf people can do anything.
Okay. I was just wondering though? Are there large groups of people who think deaf people can’t do things? In my world, deafness seems to be a handicap that many many people cope with and overcome on a regular basis. His situation sort of reminds me of Charla, the little person on the Amazing Race who wanted to show the world that little people could do anything. I agree that footage of both of them shows that while some tasks are harder for them, they do find a way to complete them. And so, I will agree that they both have shown the world that their disabilities do not hold them back.
However Luke and Charla, if you want to be an example, then I think you’d better stay on the heroic side of the fence. Or was it your intention to show the world that deaf people can screw over their fellow competitors better than hearing people (even your mom seemed a little leery of the whole thing)? Just like Charla showed the world that little people will lie and act handicapped if they think it will get them special treatment?
Enough of this. What I need people, is a good book. All of the books I have read in 2009 have been complete downers, including the biography of Charles Schultz, A Thousand Splendid Suns, a fascinating yet revolting biography of Jesse James, and a book called The Billionaire’s Vinegar, which is sort of interesting but has no ending. Now I’m back to reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which everyone says is so awesome, but I just don’t get. I find it highly irritating that there is so much untranslated Spanish in it - at least The Yiddish Policeman’s Union had a glossary in the back. I think I went too long without reading it so now I’ll either have to start over, and I really don’t want to, or just hope it all comes together in the end. I had hoped to get to the bookstore on haircut day, but you heard how that turned out. Hopefully when I get to my parents’ house, everyone will be done with their Christmas present books and I can nab a couple for free.
As I sat home today with Ben (who is sick AGAIN) after I wiped all the door knobs and light switches with Lysol wipes and changed everyone’s sheets, I read Sunday’s paper. (Yes, I realize it is now Tuesday) There were some pretty good book reviews in there so I will try to remember to send you the titles. Or else try and find them on washingtonpost.com
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Shannon replied on March 11th, 2009:
That is always my problem. Sometimes I even write the titles down, but then by the time the books come out in paperback, I’ve lost the list.
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Comment on 03.10.09 @ 4:44 pm
Too bad the family librarian became an addict, although the Boone bio (she gave me before the fall) is good
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erin replied on March 11th, 2009:
She just said she hated the book I gave her so I don’t think I am the librarian for her.
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Shannon replied on March 11th, 2009:
Really now Erin, you are on such a hair trigger. I didn’t say I hated it, I said it was a downer. It was a really interesting book, but he spent his whole life thinking no one loved him and that he was a failure. He was afraid to go to therapy because then he thought he’d be too happy to do the strip. Since he’s dead, there’s no hope that one day he’ll become happier.
Have you read a book you could recommend (since the Lego adventure started)?
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erin replied on March 11th, 2009:
I have already started a stack to bring you this weekend, then you can pick through and buy your own copies if you want.
But what is a book you DO like?
Also, the whole U-Turn thing ticked me off since that couple was actually sort of normal, I thought, and I hate the short brothers.
Shannon replied on March 11th, 2009:
Daniel Boone?
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Comment on 03.10.09 @ 5:28 pm