Stop the presses! The S.O.S. Plan (actually an accidental by-product of the empty nest experience) has, according to my painfully accurate bathroom scale, led to weight gain. I guess I'll have to write a novel instead. Homebody: The Story of a Man Who Sits Around All Day with Nary a Thought In His Head. Oops, that's me, and a rather boring autobiography.
But if you're looking for a good read, I highly recommend Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer. It's the story of former NFL player Pat Tillman who joined the Army after 9/11. He walked away from an offer of $9.6 million to be a grunt for $1200 a month. Who does that? What unfolds is tragic and disturbing, but inspiring as well.
A bit of back story that's not in the book: when Krakauer came up with the idea for writing about Tillman he was told that Tillman's widow was extremely private and would not cooperate. Krakauer called her anyway and she said, "Pat had one of your books in his rucksack when he died." Holy. She ended up turning over all of Tillman's journals to Krakauer and they are beyond compelling.
Saw Tillman's parents on TV a few nights ago. They spoke about Krakauer's book and said that is about time that the truth is coming out about Pat's death... killed by friendly fire. This was another example of the Bush/Cheney lies.
ReplyDeleteI love the story of Pat Tillman and Krakauer's books so I will have to Where Men Find Glory. Have you read Into The Wild? I couldn't put that book down and the movie they made is just as good.
ReplyDeleteI just got back from camping in the Palisades here in Idaho. It was near the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. You would have enjoyed the views.
Also, I ordered the The Moneyless Man and it is in the mail. I just watched a documentary called No Impact Man on netflix. It's about a guy in New York City who decides to go completely local organic food, no electricity, and no fossil fuels for 1 year. Very interesting and I think you would find it worth while too.