Thursday, March 6, 2008

Quote of the Day

I think joy and sweetness and affection are a spiritual path. We're here to know God, to love and serve God, and to be blown away by the beauty and miracle of nature. You just have to get rid of so much baggage to be light enough to dance, to sing, to play. You don't have time to carry grudges; you don't have time to cling to the need to be right.

- author Anne Lamott, in a recent interview. (Source: The Washington Times)

6 comments:

Dromedary Hump said...

Ewww... i just threw up a little in my mouth. :s

If she "thinks" joy, sweetness and affection are a "spiritual path", whatever that even means, does that infer that:

1) atheists, who largely reject "spirtualism" as nonsense, cannot know joy, sweetness, and affection? but that...

2) voodoo practitioners, Animists, followers of Zoroaster, tibetan monks, and peyote chewing Hopi shamen et al, DO experience those things as a reult of following a "spiritual path"?

Beyond that her sugary phrase reads like something lifted out of a self help book for recovering alcoholics or unwed mothers.

:D

Dromedary Hump said...

above I said:
"... recovering alcoholics or unwed mothers."

I should have added:
"Not that there's anything wrong with that."

Joyce said...

Eww ... you've been watching Dodgeball. I recognize that line! ;)

Actually, she was talking about herself and her own personal journey. It just so happened to resonate with me. Which is why I put it here.

Anne Lamott is an incredible writer. She's not a "Christian" author, but very raw, candid, hilarious, gut-wrenching, and honest. I love her stuff. She's on my "who I'd love to have coffee with" list.

Maybe one of the reasons I really liked this quote is because I have read so many of her books (which are all personal stories of her life. She's so raw and gritty and open that you feel like you know her personally. That's pretty typical of most of her readers. I actually think you'd like her.

And, as a matter of fact, Anne Lamott is both a recovering alcoholic AND an unwed mother. So there!

Dromedary Hump said...

"And, as a matter of fact, Anne Lamott is both a recovering alcoholic AND an unwed mother. So there!"

How about that. I guess my camel intution is working full power.
I bet she also credits Jesus with her recovery from alcohol, giving her strength, and setting her on the path to fame and fortune.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

But...you never answered the "spiritual path" questions. Ok, I'll let you off the hook. I recognise soft core religious gibberish when I see it ;)

Joyce said...

Bart, Bart, Bart. You've obviously never read her. She's a hoot.

I did answer in the statement that it was a personal reference to herself in a Washington Times interview. When I'm asked questions about myself, my answers will ring true with some and be rubbish to others. But it's what is true to *me* and that's what I try to make my blogging about.

Like I said, this quote resonated with me and I try to keep the stuff I share on my blog more personal than anything, stuff I can relate to, stuff that reflects my own life journey and thinking process.

Dromedary Hump said...

Ookey dokey.
:)