Joy for Beginners, Marion
As with Hadley’s character, I found some resonance with Marion, the character in this week’s chapter. I too grew up in the mid-west and was “a child who did mostly what was expected of her.” When I was younger I secretly longed to do something really crazy and outlandish with my appearance, but never possessed the bravery to really do it. Later in life, during a time of major transition, I started feeling a strong urge to express my individuality in a tangible way. Initially I told myself that I was too old to do anything too crazy, but the urge wouldn’t go away. I soon found myself making an appointment to get my navel pierced — a marking that most of the world will never see, but held great significance for me. Like Marion, I found that making a statement on my body somehow gave me the strength to express myself more fully and clearly in other ways. Even the contemplation of getting a tattoo gave Marion the inspiration to begin writing fiction — something she had always longed to do.
Have you ever found that doing something you’ve always dreamed of has given you the strength to tackle something even bigger? Is there something that you’re still waiting to do, but think that you’re too old, too busy, too afraid of what others will say or think? Do you think that reading this book may change your mind?
Hello fellow bloggers,
Reading this last chapter did remind me of things that I thought were bigger then me. Going to college was something that I wanted to do but could never figure out what I wanted to be, later I ended up attending trade school for culinary arts. I graduated at the top of my class and enjoyed every part of it! Now working in the culinary field I have accomplished getting a Sous Chef title and am so proud of that. I can not wait to see where I can take myself and how I would like to continue exceeding myself. This my sound lame, but one day I would like to get a tattoo, I am scared of the thought of getting one. I may not ever get it because I like not having one, but who knows maybe one day. Reading this book probably will not change my mind on the tattoo it I will open my eyes on other things…Talk to all soon, Kathy
I teach at a university and I often work with women who are returning to get a degree. For so many of them, they were told somewhere in their past that they could not do it. It is wonderful to watch them grow and find the confidence to pursue other dreams as well. I wish that we could find the time in little girls (and boys) lives when we shut down their spirits for creativity and confidence.
When I was in college during the Vietnam/hippies days I thought of getting a tattoo. I thought it would be a small flower that would be hidden, that only a few would see. But fortunately I visited my uncle that summer who had been in the navy in WWI. His once interesting tattoos of ships on his forearms were now wrinkly, blurry and indecipherable of their previous glory. I am so glad that I don’t have a blurry blob somewhere on my body that few would see and probably not be impressed with
Having said that, I like that Marion found that the tattoo freed her to do other things. I have had similar experiences (just not tattoos) and look forward to more.
(Erica, thanks for the responses to my last post. I love it that you are going through this with us.)
Susan, do you think you may get a tattoo sometime in the future? Is that small flower still calling to you?
I, too, grew up always trying to do what was expected of me. When I was often told that I could not handle pressure or changes, I began to believe that. What I found, to the contrary, was that I was very capable of being strong and handling life’s challenges. It’s hard to let go of some of the tapes that play over and over in our head, but in conquering some of the things we think we cannot do, it helps to build confidence and strength exceeding even our own expectations.
Within every chapter of this book, there are those eloquent passages or a phrase that seems to really speak to me. In this chapter, it was when Bessie, stricken with arthritis in her fingers, is having the vines & leaves, that were engraved on her wedding band, tatooed on her finger. She says, “Tatoos are a little like wedding vows. You grow up and change even though the words you said don’t. You just have to believe in the future and be kind to the past.”
So here’s a question to ponder. Some readers have written me wondering what Marion’s tattoo was. Why do you think I didn’t describe it more in the book?
I don’t know, Seraphina, the flower isn’t calling me any more. Sometimes a motivational saying calls. But over the years I have applied henna “tattoos” and for years my grandson and I applied Christmas fake tattoos that would take a week to wear off (usually cartoon characters) and in each case there was usually an incident where I was embarrassed to have them on (I remember a nurse giving me alcohol to take it off during an emergency room visit). I would hate to get something permanent and then be embarrassed. It took me 30 years to get my ears pierced (lol).
Erica, When I read it, I wondered why you did not tell us what Marion’s tattoo was, but then I decided it didn’t matter. What mattered was that she did it and it changed her life. I can’t begin to imagine what it is because she was one of the characters that I did not feel that I knew in depth. Maybe it was a simple “I did it” wrapped in thorns and flower around her upper arm.
Hi Erica,
I was wondering if someone would bring this up in our discussion…
I think that Marion’s tatto was the first sentence or first few words of the book that she was writing.
It’s been interesting that as we move through each chapter we each see something very different in each character in the book; what I see or relate to in a character is completely different than what stands out to someone else in our book club. Perhaps you allowed each reader to “fill in the blank” regarding Marion’s tattoo based on what resonated with them about this character.
I’m anxious to hear from everyone else on this…