I know you will have probably had this experience, I hope so, but it is so rare, I had to share this with you. You will find this book on amazon but I listened to it as an audiobook from Audible which you can also order through amazon (Amazon owns Audible). I have been a member of Audible since 2008 and I absolutely love audiobooks. I listen while I paint, do housework, have to drive around, or am doing other chores, but I especially started listening to audiobooks again when I started painting because I may paint several hours in one day many days running. This is the book I finished tonight and I was so deeply moved and filled with reverence I couldn’t even paint, I just had to listen, and I finished listening to it with tears in my eyes.
When was the last time you read a book that just took your breath away? Made you think, made you cry, moved you deeply, and changed you forever? Not often, right? This book did all that for me and especially now.
Yesterday I shared with you my newest painting in progress and you got to see Petunia, the “mentally challenged” flamingo. She’s cute and one might imagine she will have a funny part of the story but this isn’t so, in fact Petunia, and this is kind of top secret and almost more than I want to say, will carry the deepest most painful part of my real story but in a way that doesn’t divulge the details of my painful childhood. I will say this much. Petunia could not live with her own kind. Her story is deep and rich and sad and ultimately triumphant. I wrote, “Sometimes we are not able to live comfortably with our own kind.” in my notebook. That gives you some idea what I am touching down on.
The book I just finished, The Soul Of An Octopus, read by the author herself, is one of the most extraordinary stories I have ever read or heard. It is beautiful, it is touching, it is sad, it is full of wonder, the great wonders of the natural world and a creature so unusual few understand them, are frightened of them, and more. If you joined my mailing list you will have gotten my free eBook, “Fitting Out When You Never Really Fit In.” It is the story of my life, the story of Petunia the flamingo’s life, it is the story of the octopus. And the author has had an incredible relationship with these amazing creatures. My eyes still fill with tears as I think of it.
I am 65. I have chosen a life with animals. I have no partner, I live alone, and I commune with my animals all day long. I felt far more comfortable reading this book than a traditional “love story.” As much as I sometimes dream about what it might be like if someone loved me, waking up nose to nose with Molly and kissing her good morning is one of the greatest joys of my life. The souls of animals, and they do have souls, without question, is what I am most interested in now. There is no animal in Maisie’s book who is there just to be cute or funny or whimsical. They all have their story, and their stories are part of mine. It’s very hard to explain but it is where I am now, it is what matters to me. People have never really understood me. The animals will help me tell my story.
I need to be quiet now. I need to think about this book, and get ready to move into the next one, an amazing story about elephants. I’ll tell you more about that later.
I hope you are having a quiet, peaceful night dear friends. I am.
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Dear Maitri,
I must be thick as a plank because I have no idea what you mean about your own kind. Also, I didn’t ever download your ebook. I was going to ask you about it one day and totally got sidetracked. Where would I download it from…here? Do let me know, my dear.
Marge,
By “your own kind” I mean as with Petunia who is afraid of other flamingos (that is part of her story I am not sharing here, it will be in the book) I am more comfortable with animals than humans (MY “own kind.)
When you joined my mailing list you will have immediately gotten a link to download the eBook which is a PDF. If you will write to me personally or through the contact form above at the top of the site and give me your email address I will send you the link tomorrow. I’m shutting down here for the night…
i will look for this book. thank you maitri — yes, the wonder of consciousness!
xo
ka
I think you would love it Ka… 🙂
M. xoxox
Dear Maitri,
the description of this book sounds fascinating! I would have to read it, though.
Tried audiobooks again and again, but they make me sleepy so I miss important parts while snoring.
If Petunia is afraid of other flamingoes I’m sure she has valid reasons and is better off with Maisie and the gang!
Yesterday I went to a wonderful concert with our church choir. Great music. But too many human beings behaving in human ways for me to feel comfortable. Proud to say I stayed till the end, would have been a pity not to hear these lovely people perform. But I was so exhausted afterwards, still am. And have to go to work now. More humaning. Anyway.
I love the new characters in Maisies story, really looking forward to their adventures together. And: I plan on taking a picnic to our garden on my next day off.
Don’t tell Ben, I’m taking something special for him, too!
Sending lots of love to you and your animals
Silke
Hello Darling Silke,
Yes well that’s just the thing about audiobooks. I can’t sit there and try to listen to it while I’m “resting” or at bedtime, I will go RIGHT to sleep! I listen while I’m painting, or doing dishes or cooking or driving in the car. Those kinds of things when I HAVE to stay awake! And I am always reading more than one book at once. I might have an audiobook, a book on my Kindle, and a couple of real paperback books next to where Molly and I sleep. I like to read real books at night. I may not get far and might have to turn out the light and just go to sleep but I don’t sleep THROUGH it! 😀
And enjoy your picnic with sweet Ben. I am enjoying of having one vicariously with Maisie and her crew!
I hope you are having a lovely summer Silke…
Maitri
I have a soft spot in my heart for octopuses, from my Marine Biology days.
When I was a student, we went trawling one time in the bay to note what we brought up from the sea bottom. Mostly various seaweeds, some fish, the usual garbage (unfortunately), and one clever octopus who had taken up residence in an empty beer can. We “adopted” her and kept her in a lab tank for a while before releasing her back into the bay.
I might have to read that just for the octopus content. Noting for future reference… 🙂
Oh Victoria I had completely forgotten you were a Marine Biologist! You would LOVE this book! And it’s a very well known book, I bet you could get it at the library?
How enchanting that you actually got to adopt a little one for awhile. I was mesmerized by this book and I’d love to have a real paperback copy just to read. It was a wonderful experience listening the first time especially since the author narrated her own book, I always love that, but I would love to have a paperback copy that I could underline and highlight things in. It’s just so magical, and there are used inexpensive copies on amazon.
I hope you are well honey. I’ve been out all day for therapy, gas for the car, meds refilled, grocery shopping and, after taking Molly out and putting all the groceries away I have about 30 minutes to sit here and rest before I have to dash into the kitchen, clean it up and start cooking for Rachel and I. I will try to do a short blog post after Rachel leaves if she leaves early enough. If she’s leaves around 9 I’m good. If we’re having so much fun she doesn’t leave until 10 or a little after I’m DOOMED! I will fall asleep with the laptop open in my lap. Ha ha ha!
Take care of you sweet V.