Five Yummy Things I've Gained from Reading Literature

1. What piece of literature has stayed with you, even though you haven't read it recently? 

The most resounding and most memorable text I have ever read is Jack Kerouac’s “On The Road.” I still pick it up from time to time, and I will never forget the first time I began to read it. I was in tenth grade when I first encountered the book that brought Old Jack his fame. At this point in my life I was already well traveled, but once I read “On The Road” I was transformed forever. I took to the road whenever I could, making trips to Chicago, Omaha, Madison, Iowa City, Des Moines, and Peoria. Before I knew it I was making treks to New York City and California multiple times a year. I couldn’t get enough of the experiences that come with traveling. I encountered so many strange and wonderful things during my era of travel, which strangely enough continues today. All of it started with “On The Road.” Now, I’ve driven more places and more miles than most people will in their entire lives. In fact, I’m leaving tomorrow for a trip totaling over 1400 miles. 

It continues. I still remember Sal Paradise’s sponge-like observations of life on the road. I still find myself meeting up with the various Dean Moriartys I know. I still ride on the same roads Kerouac did when he was penning the scroll that eventually became the inspiration for an entire generation.  I still drive into the night, talking to the radio and searching for wildlife. I still meet everyone I can, shake their hand, and give them my best. I still chase the same sunsets as the beats once did. Or, as Kerouac said “We were all delighted, we all realized we were leaving confusion and nonsense behind and performing our one noble function of the time, move.”

2. What character or story has influenced something you've done?

The character Socrates from the novel “Way of the Peaceful Warrior” by Dan Millman significant influenced me to change many aspects of my life. In the novel, Socrates pushes Dan Millman to become the best possible human he can be. Socrates acts as a mentor and teacher to Millman on his path to becoming a peaceful warrior. During his transformation, Millman changes many things about the daily happenings his life. He eats better. He meditates. He practices breathing techniques and yoga. He is more kind and more understanding of the suffering going on in the world. At the same time, Millman is molded into an insanely healthy human through rigorous and unusual training methods. Socrates is on his side for the majority of this training, but also challenges Millman to work hard by himself. Socrates is truly an inspiring character (and possibly a real human).

Socrates inspired me to begin to eat more healthy, to practice yoga, and to begin to mold myself into a more compassionate, yet agile human. Of course I am no Dan Millman, so the transformation has been slow, and I still have many changes to make. Nonetheless, Socrates really spoke to my soul and has challenged me to always strive to better myself in every arena of life no matter the amount of pain or resistance I encounter. Maybe one day I will meet someone just like Socrates. I would be sure to thank him.

3. What character or piece of literature seemed to relate to a recent news story or personal experience?

The Kid from Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian” relates directly to the experience I had in high school of falling in with a ruthless, older group of people. Although the Kid and I did not have the same experiences, since I was not killing and scalping Native Americans, we do share the experience of being forced to group up faster than usual. When I was thirteen things became very complicated at home, so I starting spending the majority of my time rollerblading with older kids. I saw and did a lot of things that I found myself regretting later in life, much like the Kid. I was always the youngest in my group of friends and was subject to more pressure because of various circumstances. However, I’d like to think I turned out a little better than the Kid. 

4. What character has made you wonder why he or she did/said something?

Sheriff Ed Tom Bell from Cormac McCarthy’s “No Country For Old Men” is by far the most puzzling of characters. In the last part of McCarthy’s novel, the Sheriff, after giving up the search for a killer, reflects on two of his recent dreams. The book ends with Ed Tom Bell’s recollection, and I have been stuck on it since I read the lines. I couldn’t be more confused to as why McCarthy would end the book as he did with the Sheriff’s dream talk. If I ever meet Cormac that will be the first thing I will ask him about.

5. Name something from a work of literature (such as a character, setting, or quotation) that you find beautiful or vivid.

I find most of what the novelist Tom Robbins writes to be beautiful and vivid. I have read every single one of his ten novels and find each one to be exceptional in it’s own right. One quote, however, has always stuck with me: “There are only two mantras, yum and yuck, mine is yum.” This quote from “Still Life With Woodpecker” seems simple enough, but I found a deep meaning from Robbins’ simplicity. This quote told me there are two ways of looking at the world. You can look at it negatively and say “yuck,” or you can embrace it and let “yum” roll off your tongue. Try it. “Yum.” Now, try “yuck.” Notice the difference? Yum rumbles out of your mouth longer than the Mississippi. Yuck, on the other hand (or should I say tongue) is forced out of your mouth with the ferocity of Hurricane Katrina, and no one likes her anymore. 

Use Robbins’ mantra next time you see something beautiful. Yum at your husband, your wife, or your lover, yum at the sun, yum at the moon, and most importantly, yum at every ugly or negative thing you encounter. Even those things won’t be able to stop the rumble from your mouth.