You Are Here… and when I walked every day for a year
Just look at those peonies. They aren’t mine. I stole them.
Sort of.
Willard lives behind me. He just turned 80. Our gardens are back to back. When he’s out of town, I do a general look about for bandits and rascals, as I have the best view of hiding places. I’m also on skunk patrol. We can’t see him but we can smell him.
I also have the best view of the peonies. Willard was going to be out of town when the peonies were in bloom. He didn’t care. He doesn’t like them.
Outrageous.
The peonies have a short season and that is just not enough bang for his buck. But they were here when he moved in so he left them. Hides the downpipe.
Secretly I coveted his peonies. I wanted them. I even told him a dirty joke to woo him into giving them to me.
“What does a woman like most in the world? Starts with a P and ends with an S.”
Peonies!
Now I have blooms in every vase in every room, and they are a lovely background while I indulge in the newest book from David Nicholls.
It is always a treat when one of your faves comes out with another book. David Nicholls is best known as the author behind One Day (the book, the movie, and the new Netflix limited series). His new book, You Are Here, is about a group hiking trip that takes place west to east across the UK. What happens when a mix of strangers and friends go on a multi-day hiking trip?
This book is so good you’ll want to read it nice and slow.
The guy can turn a phrase. I found myself being AUDIBLE when reading. Guffawing and snickering. Aloud.
This is not me. This does not happen. He’s that good.
Go get the book.
The premise of You Are Here reminds me of when I made a New Year’s resolution to walk every day for a year. I made it to the end of February before boredom won. Also fear. Fear of dogs. Fear of creepy men. I was hiking a rail trail near my home. I found many of my inner monologues took on a Hunger Games quality. Where would I run if someone attacked me?
This doth not a good time make.
Yet in Paris, I walked every day and had a great time doing it. I didn’t need to make it a challenge. It was more fun than NOT walking. Even with pickpockets swarming, urban crowding, and HEAT.
Now I often walk around the track near my house. Around and around on the open plain so I can see creepos and coyotes coming and have time to react. Plus I can get lost in thoughts or a podcast or music without worrying about traffic.
In You Are Here, fear of each other is a big theme. After the pandemic, a lot of us got pretty comfortable with isolation… so much so that we become passive with making plans.
“Not an introvert, just an extrovert who has lost the knack.”
Exactly, David.
Loneliness but struggling to step out of it. Gosh this book is TIMELY.
“She had become addicted to the buzz of the cancelled plan.”
It’s also a romantic book so someone has to make a few leaps out of lonely to get to the business of getting together.
So we walk along with this troupe and see where it goes, and see how we bounce off the narrative in our own noggins. We observe the nervous filling of silences, the unintentional truth telling that happens when we walk side by side, then when the hike gets too hard, tossing politeness off the cliff. It’s all there. It’s so good. It’s worth it.
Also, three things:
You Are Here is pure David Nicholls goodness. Makes a nice summer read.
I popped a few new collage videos up on my YouTube channel to appease my daughter who wants a gold play button. She’s seven. How does she know these things? I also plan on sneaking art lessons in each video
My new course Tap Into the Writer’s Mindset is up and ready and has an early bird special until June 30th. Other writing teachers talk about structure and outlines and boring stuff like that. How about tapping into the narrative voice inside in order to write ANYTHING? This course helps with just this. You can start the moment you sign up. Fun!
