The Book Club

On page nine of our book club's latest book - A Girl Named Zippy, there is this quote:

"Olive Overton, my dear friend from church, says that she knew you before you were born, and that it took you some time to decide whether or not you wanted to stay in this world."

(That was written in the author's (Haven Kimmel) baby book by her mother after a bad bout of illness in the tiny baby, which was expected to be terminal.)

I think I scandalized a few people in our group by bringing up a discussion of reincarnation, and what is said to happen with our souls previous to joining a body in a new lifetime. According to Edgar Cayce, our souls have choices of situations in which to to put themselves, in order to learn the lessons that need to be learned in that lifetime. It may be that you can learn a valuable lesson for yourself - or you choose to be with that group because they need to learn something from you. 

Several of the women refused to believe that a soul would choose to live a life in darkest Africa, for example. Enlightened souls, who know that they need to experience certain situations in a lifetime in order to advance toward unity with God, would not hesitate to choose a life like that, while less-advanced souls or pleasure-seekers might be inclined to choose a life that will give them fame or fortune, heedless of the lessons to be learned that would advance them on the karmic wheel. 

We soon went on to discuss other aspects of the memoir, which asked us to remember the smells we loved in childhood, and which can bring back instant memories, no matter how buried in our psyches they are. One of the women remembered flowers that reminded her of her grandmother; another mentioned certain cooking smells that could quickly transport her to her mother's kitchen. Kimmel mentions later in the book about how the smell of one's own bed is so comforting - and everyone agreed with that, although no one had really given it much thought before. 

Kimmel recounts hearing what a friend said to her about basketball:

"As I watched Dana shoot, I thought of what my brother would have said about her form. She pushed too hard forward, without applying an arc. She didn't wait for the moment to get itself right before she let the ball leave her hand. There was no follow through in her fingers......"

I have heard my husband say the same things over and over (along with bending the knees and not locking your elbows) to our son, or while watching a game on TV. 

Another quote which stood out to me is:

" His eyes were what scared me the most: he wore the look men get in their forties when they've given up hope and plan to get even. Everywhere he walked a vague sense of violence prevailed, although I was never certain whom he had hurt or if he was just a living threat." 

Think about it; have you know anyone who gave off that aura? I've seen a few in the movies or on television, but no one in my life I could say that about. How about you? Can you say that you have had similar thoughts before or known someone of whom this reminded you?

My favorite quote in the book is:  "I once heard her (Haven's mother) tell a friend that she was, in fact, a 120 pound woman, but she kept herself wrapped in fat in order to prevent bruising."  It is funny/odd what some people remember in a book or what stands out to them - that others may have glossed over completely. One woman didn't remember reading that at all. It became my favorite quote because I identify with it so closely. I weighed about 120 when I got married, and even though I have put on a good bit more weight, I still think of myself as I was back then. That 120 lb.  person is still inside me.....lol