Stiff
I have purported to hate reading, but alas, I have a new book under my nose. It's raising all sorts of questions about me. I can tell. Not only am I reading, but the subject is probably a little taboo, at least to be so proudly sporting it in my arms. The first day I brought it with me to work, I kept looking at the passenger seat in my car with anticipation. I finally gave into the whim like a kid goes for candy. It actually made my drive to work less anxious--anxious in the sense that I have to book it (no pun intended) because I'm late. There was a guy blantantly checking me out, and though normally I would have returned the favor, the book was distracting me. I tried to just read the back, but I quickly started scanning the jacket cover, which led to the introduction of the book. It felt like cheating. It really did, and there was a large part of me that was worried someone would glance over at a stoplight and see the cover featuring a cadaver's feet with a toe tag, perhaps passing judgment on me. It might have been more alarming due to the huge smile across my face.
My book is about the life of cadavers. I spied an excerpt on a website that I often read. They featured a chapter about the body farm, which is actually here in Tennessee. The body farm is a place where researchers study the decay of human composition and metabolic changes with numerous variables (e.g., weather, clothing, etc.). My co-workers and I have had lengthy discussions about the farm, so I was naturally curious. The author writes this book with such wit that it removes the macabre feeling associated with death. In fact, when I had my friends over for dinner, I made one of them read a chapter aloud. I sat on the couch giddy as a school girl barely able to contain my excitement. I kept saying "Oh, a good, funny part is coming up! Listen!" They laughed with me and partly at me.
I've learned some very interesting things. For example, if you're in a plane crash and happen to be over water, you want to go feet first. As for the rest of the tips, I'm keeping those to myself. I would hate to know I gave up my life because some stranger read my journal and muscled me to safety. In these types of situations, it's every man, or woman in this case, for himself.
I have purported to hate reading, but alas, I have a new book under my nose. It's raising all sorts of questions about me. I can tell. Not only am I reading, but the subject is probably a little taboo, at least to be so proudly sporting it in my arms. The first day I brought it with me to work, I kept looking at the passenger seat in my car with anticipation. I finally gave into the whim like a kid goes for candy. It actually made my drive to work less anxious--anxious in the sense that I have to book it (no pun intended) because I'm late. There was a guy blantantly checking me out, and though normally I would have returned the favor, the book was distracting me. I tried to just read the back, but I quickly started scanning the jacket cover, which led to the introduction of the book. It felt like cheating. It really did, and there was a large part of me that was worried someone would glance over at a stoplight and see the cover featuring a cadaver's feet with a toe tag, perhaps passing judgment on me. It might have been more alarming due to the huge smile across my face.
My book is about the life of cadavers. I spied an excerpt on a website that I often read. They featured a chapter about the body farm, which is actually here in Tennessee. The body farm is a place where researchers study the decay of human composition and metabolic changes with numerous variables (e.g., weather, clothing, etc.). My co-workers and I have had lengthy discussions about the farm, so I was naturally curious. The author writes this book with such wit that it removes the macabre feeling associated with death. In fact, when I had my friends over for dinner, I made one of them read a chapter aloud. I sat on the couch giddy as a school girl barely able to contain my excitement. I kept saying "Oh, a good, funny part is coming up! Listen!" They laughed with me and partly at me.
I've learned some very interesting things. For example, if you're in a plane crash and happen to be over water, you want to go feet first. As for the rest of the tips, I'm keeping those to myself. I would hate to know I gave up my life because some stranger read my journal and muscled me to safety. In these types of situations, it's every man, or woman in this case, for himself.
posted by Jeni at 2:52 PM
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