Most often when I pick up a book, I have no agenda; I just want to read for pure enjoyment.  Without realizing it, though, I usually take away a message when reading a book that changes my view of  life, family, and friends – and even people I’ve never met!

Two of my most recent reads are good examples.

When I started reading Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, I had little knowledge of the restaurant industry – other than eating in them regularly.  The book gave me an insider’s look at what goes on in the kitchen and behind the scenes of many restaurants.  It completely changed my perspective.  For me, the book was about a lot more than just cooking.  It was about career choices and the decisions that we make along the way.  This book highlighted the winding path that Bourdain took to become the TV star and celebrity that he is today.  The book was even more intriguing knowing he wrote and published it before he became famous.  Now in its second printing, this memoir has received considerably more attention and readership that he never would have found during his first printing without his TV show.

Kitchen Confidential

Devouring books as always, I also just finished reading Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson.  The story revolves around a number of individuals who all come together to locate and search for the name of a missing German U Boat from WWII. While this may not sound enticing to some of you on the surface (pun intended), it has a much deeper (I just can’t help myself) exploration of the challenges that we encounter in our lives and how we deal with them.  This story evolved in the 1990’s and deals with the issues of many explorers and the issues that they face. This book helps you to understand why sane men pursue exploration and the fears that they must face along the way. Along the way, we discover through them that our own lives have repeated parallels even though very few of us embark upon such daring exploits. Many of us must come to grips with the death of our friends, marriages that went awry, and the effects of alcohol and how it destroys lives of people we care about. It also gives great insight into the passion that drives men to challenge themselves in a risky adventure.

Shadow Divers

To put it simply, there is not a book that I have read that does not lead me to new questions and deeper insights.  What about you?  What have you read that makes you stop and think about things from a new perspective?  I look forward to reading your thoughts and opinions.

The ubiquitous topic on every news station and on the minds of much of the world is the effect of Japan’s recent 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami on their nuclear power plants. There has been news of power outages causing meltdowns and explosions, which have in turn caused radiation leaks. Residents near the reactors have been advised to stay indoors or evacuate the area, and it seems unclear exactly how far-reaching the threat of poisonous radiation is.

Witnessing all this through the protective screen of my television, I cannot begin to imagine how confusing and frightening this must be for those experiencing it firsthand.

I grew up during the Cold War. The threat of a Russian-made ICBM delivering a nuclear warhead cruising towards the United States at any moment would send chills down my spine. I remember sitting in the halls of my elementary school, hunched in a ball with my head between my knees, and teachers telling us not to worry, and that this was probably just another false alarm. Probably? How did they know for sure? The reality was – none of us really knew.

We heard about the possibility of a nuclear attack almost every night on the news. Some people built bomb shelters. Some stocked up on food and water supplies. Everyone believed that it was only a matter of time before some rogue soldier sitting in a silo thousands of miles away was going to push the button and start WWIII.  It was just a matter of time.

We lived with that threat daily. What could you do? Pray and wait. Hope it never happened. I suspect that this is the same feeling the people who live around the nuclear reactors felt in Japan. Afraid of the possibility of a leak, aware of the risk, but unable to do anything but hope the threat would not become reality.

Now that reality is all too real.

Though Japan’s government and citizens are reportedly handling the situation impeccably, that doesn’t mean they aren’t facing fear and genuine concern for their country’s well-being. My thoughts and prayers go out to them – especially all of those that have been directly impacted by this crisis. I admire the brave workers who are exposing themselves to dangerous amounts of radiation in hopes of saving others; they are true heroes. I appreciate the officials and residents who are generously rationing resources and selflessly working together toward recovery.

In moments of tragedy, we have to look for the positive.  I hope, not just Japan, but the whole world comes out of this ordeal with more preparation and a stronger sense of unity. Because we all know what it is to be afraid, or to worry, and regardless of what burdens we bear or catastrophes we encounter, there is comfort in knowing that we are not alone. 

May God bless each of you and keep you safe.

Richard