Lit-Wits Holiday Festivities

Hosted by Judy.

The Lit-Wits thank Judy for again hosting our holiday gathering and organizing the very fun game. If laughter is indeed the best medicine then we all enjoyed a good dose of it! Congratulations to Stacy as our winner with an amazing 24 correct answers!

We started the evening with some wonderful food while discussing the book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. It received mixed reviews with two people disliking it, four people liking it, and six people just okay with it.

Some of the negative comments:
Boring, about a seagull, too many underlying themes (resurrection vs. reincarnation, perseverance, enlightenment, spirituality) and complicated symbolism such that you felt like you needed a high school English teacher to "get it."

Some of the positive comments:
It speaks to the power of the mind over any situation; the parallels between Jonathan and Jesus (or not!); and, the idea that it is within all of us to reach a higher level (outcast or not).

It was suggested that if we read it while in an altered state of consciousness, like too many of Lucia's slushies, it might all make sense!  Carol M. suggested we watch the song "Be" by Neil Diamond on YouTube for another take on it.

Missy really liked it, and after she finished it she wrote down these thoughts: Divinity is here with us, on Earth, in our midst. It's in the form of special friends who touch our hearts and lives, the characters of a book who we admire and long to be like, the words of a poem or song that resonate "just so," the encouragement of a teacher or coach. It allows us to think we just might be able to be more than ourselves, more than we thought we could be. That is the spirituality of everyday living, learning, growing, becoming. That is the beauty of enlightenment, not for our own good but for the possibility, the hope, that we may someday be able to help someone else on their journey.

Here are the recipes requested: Molten lava cake - Carol W; Blondie bars - Missy; Blueberry buckle - Pat S; Creme de menthe squares - Diane; Shrimp dip - Kristi; Slushy - Lucia.

Link to "Be" sung by Neil Diamond: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm2hYRQEOHM