In the book that I am reading, Tanya Shaffer's Somebody's Heart is Burning: A woman wanderer in Africa, the author encounters an old man in a ferry boat during her arduous ride up the Niger. The man wants to know why she is in that over-crowded pinasse going to Timbuktu.I am always interested in the various responses to this question of why we travel, and I particularly liked Tanya's musings about her inability to respond adequately to the old man's question. Perhaps because it mirrors our own sentiments.
She writes:
How could I tell yet another person here that with everything that had been given to me, I was still restless and unsatisfied? That I felt driven to wander the earth in search of some elusive key that would unlock the chamber of my own happiness? How could I explain that I chose physical hardship: dysentery, heat rash, dizzying rides in crowded vehicles down bumpy, potholed roads – that I chose all of this, because it was the only thing that made me feel truly alive?I will post more about this book soon.
Ram
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"How could I tell yet another person here that with everything that had been given to me, I was still restless and unsatisfied? That I felt driven to wander the earth in search of some elusive key that would unlock the chamber of my own happiness? "
ReplyDeletelove these lines. feels like she was in my head talking abt the restlessness and the search.
Hey Ms. N:
ReplyDeleteIf those lines resonated with you, you should definitely check out the book. It is pretty much a guarantee that you will love the writing and the candor in her writing. I just posted a review.
I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commentters here!Keep writing.Thanks.
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I do agree with this article. Book title is very nice. I haven’t read this book yet, but I will. Thanks for the post.
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