It's not home. Not work. But somewhere you physically gather with others to celebrate, mourn, exchange ideas — and if you're lost, feel a little bit found.
I’m visiting Portland, Oregon. Portland has what is certainly one of the best bookstores in the US. Easy to get lost in, in so many ways. Sure enough they had two(2!) copies of Little Chapel. I walked out with a few hours of entertainment for the bargain price of $4.95. How great is that!
My barber shop ... local, accessible, freedom to speak mind about life and family. Everyone wants to look good after a cut, so there is always satisfaction when I leave.
Honorable mention. My local taqueria, they know my order, my spice, my kids, my sports teams, my trips and a cold beer is waiting for me every Friday night.
As I said in an earlier comment, this post is giving me a lot to think about. One very tight “community” are small combat units. I was in Vietnam; my squad consisted of a diverse group of people from many walks of life and many viewpoints. We probably weren’t as civil to each other as your lawyer and vet in the little Chapel but we worked well together. We weren’t out there to save the world from communism, we were out there to stay alive and we’d do and did everything to keep our squad members alive. I saw extraordinary acts of courage to save a buddy. There’s a bond between those having served in the military and especially in combat that’s impossible, at least for me, to describe. I think if you talk to any vet from any war, they would tell you they feel some level of guilt not being able to help our buddies who are currently serving in harms way. It’s a responsibility, a stewardship, that’s ground into our souls.
Thank you, Gwendolyn and of course Michael Easter for this post. I can think of few things in the last few decades that struck me so profoundly and given me so much food for thought.
Perhaps you and Michael should collaborate on a book to expand this subject further and deeper.
Thanks Marshall. I'm really glad Michael suggested we talk about this together. It helped me really crystallize a lot of things I've been thinking and feeling but hadn't yet put into words.
Wendy, any chance the little chapel book will be available on audible in the near future? Def want to indulge in it after finishing not too late and Michael totally endorsing this book!
Right now, Little Chapel isn't on Audible. It was first published 20 years ago (gulp!) when audio books weren't as much a "thing." It's on Kindle and of course paperback/hardback. However, I'm curious whether the publisher would ever want to go back and revisit having audio version. Will check in and keep you posted.
While I concur Little Chapel should be on Audible I encourage those interested in the book to try to find a hard copy, perhaps at a local library, to peruse. There are sixteen pages of photographs in the book that help bring to life the bar and the characters that populate the story.
I’m visiting Portland, Oregon. Portland has what is certainly one of the best bookstores in the US. Easy to get lost in, in so many ways. Sure enough they had two(2!) copies of Little Chapel. I walked out with a few hours of entertainment for the bargain price of $4.95. How great is that!
Hey - that's cool to hear they have it in stock nearly 20 years after first publication. Thanks for picking one.
Absolutely loved Little Chapel....the mere mention of it resonates within.
That's wonderful to hear. Thank you Joan.
My barber shop ... local, accessible, freedom to speak mind about life and family. Everyone wants to look good after a cut, so there is always satisfaction when I leave.
Honorable mention. My local taqueria, they know my order, my spice, my kids, my sports teams, my trips and a cold beer is waiting for me every Friday night.
Perfect examples. When you walk in and details of your life are already known, remembered, that is priceless.
As I said in an earlier comment, this post is giving me a lot to think about. One very tight “community” are small combat units. I was in Vietnam; my squad consisted of a diverse group of people from many walks of life and many viewpoints. We probably weren’t as civil to each other as your lawyer and vet in the little Chapel but we worked well together. We weren’t out there to save the world from communism, we were out there to stay alive and we’d do and did everything to keep our squad members alive. I saw extraordinary acts of courage to save a buddy. There’s a bond between those having served in the military and especially in combat that’s impossible, at least for me, to describe. I think if you talk to any vet from any war, they would tell you they feel some level of guilt not being able to help our buddies who are currently serving in harms way. It’s a responsibility, a stewardship, that’s ground into our souls.
Thank you, Gwendolyn and of course Michael Easter for this post. I can think of few things in the last few decades that struck me so profoundly and given me so much food for thought.
Perhaps you and Michael should collaborate on a book to expand this subject further and deeper.
Thanks Marshall. I'm really glad Michael suggested we talk about this together. It helped me really crystallize a lot of things I've been thinking and feeling but hadn't yet put into words.
And sorry if I called you Wendy! That sticks in my mind from the audiobook where you were called that during childhood.
Wendy is great!
Nic4
Wendy, any chance the little chapel book will be available on audible in the near future? Def want to indulge in it after finishing not too late and Michael totally endorsing this book!
Right now, Little Chapel isn't on Audible. It was first published 20 years ago (gulp!) when audio books weren't as much a "thing." It's on Kindle and of course paperback/hardback. However, I'm curious whether the publisher would ever want to go back and revisit having audio version. Will check in and keep you posted.
We need to def drum up interest in an audio version, I would think this type of book would resonate well with your narration.
While I concur Little Chapel should be on Audible I encourage those interested in the book to try to find a hard copy, perhaps at a local library, to peruse. There are sixteen pages of photographs in the book that help bring to life the bar and the characters that populate the story.
That’s exactly what I did and found a copy! Thanks for the suggestion!