Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The Teachings of Don Juan

Now here is something I remember from living in Mexico before. You become desperate for casual reading material. So it has come to pass that Steve and I are both reading old paperback copies of Carlos Castaneda books about...transcendence? Vision?

I'm halfway through mine, in a chapter about water rats, but my mind keeps wandering. Ah, but maybe Don Juan wants it to wander because it is in that sideways movement of thought that you encounter the great epiphany!

I'm excited to report that I've just unearthed a couple of Vanity Fair magazines, and one of them is from 2006--pretty recent! In the meantime, Steve has shared one of Don Juan's teachings from A Separate Reality in which our protagonist expresses fear of eating street food in case he gets sick. Don Juan responds, "Once you decided to come to Mexico, you should have put all your petty fears away."

1 comment:

Henry said...

Dear Serena, It is so fantastic that you are there! I haven't checked hystdl for two months, which turns out to be a long time. Many many healing thoughts to you and a heap of admiration. We have basketfuls of casual (and very casual, perhaps grungy?) reading I could send to you, but that would be too easy. Easy doesn't bring epiphany. (I'm curious about the yellow adhesive covering.) Love, Hilair