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Confession time: I have a writer crush on Jen Lancaster. Her writing is entertaining and clear and not just funny but witty. She makes me want to read more, write more and do more. And to me, that's one of the signs of an great talent. In this memoir, she writes about her "Jenassaince" -- her desire to step away from reality television and get "culture" and "class" though much of the book is a question of which comes first, culture or class. Her goal is to not be the girl who says the first thing that comes to mind in important social situations. This is (a) a sign of personal growth and self awareness as she realizes the fact that she is, um not nice, is probably the reason why she lost her job in the dot-com bust years ago and (b) slightly disturbing because her lack of a mental/social filter is part of her charm. Then again, if all we ever read about was the dumb-ass things she said, well, her books would be boring and repetitive and I love her too much to see that happen. So you go ahead and improve yourself, Jen. I want to read all about it. By the end of teh book, she realizes it's not so much about what she's doing but that she is out doing:
"We're obligated to make the most of what we have, and the best way to do that is to expand the depth of our experiences. Do we want to spend the next thirty years on the couch, waiting to see who wins America's Next Top Model Cycle Forty-Five, or do w want to fill our lives with a million new experiences, even if sometimes they're unpredictable or scary or take effort? Essentially, we realized we need to keep diving in. And if we do, our lives won't be richer for being long; our lives will be richer for having lived."
Yes, Ms. Lancaster, along with making me laugh out loud and bringing me all the things I love about reading, you also gave me a fresh reminder of how I try to live my own life -- by pushing myself out of my comfort zone. You make me want to try something a bit harder and unexpected. A sincere thanks for the inspiration.
"We're obligated to make the most of what we have, and the best way to do that is to expand the depth of our experiences. Do we want to spend the next thirty years on the couch, waiting to see who wins America's Next Top Model Cycle Forty-Five, or do w want to fill our lives with a million new experiences, even if sometimes they're unpredictable or scary or take effort? Essentially, we realized we need to keep diving in. And if we do, our lives won't be richer for being long; our lives will be richer for having lived."
Yes, Ms. Lancaster, along with making me laugh out loud and bringing me all the things I love about reading, you also gave me a fresh reminder of how I try to live my own life -- by pushing myself out of my comfort zone. You make me want to try something a bit harder and unexpected. A sincere thanks for the inspiration.