Lazing Away

Some books force the recognition that my life really is pretty simple and dull—and I really like it that way.  My tutorial just read Huckleberry Finn (by Mark Twain, but you knew that (well, at least I hope you knew that)).  The discussion was, as always in tutorials, quite interesting.  At one point, I made an impassioned plea for Tom Sawyer’s love of Adventure; Tom wants to turn everything into an adventure, and yet none of the students wanted to join Tom in a life like that.  Truth be told, I also would not want a life of Adventure.  Why not?  Adventure is invigorating, exciting, and life-enhancing.  And yet, I’ll pass.  One student mentioned that after a vacation, it’s just nice to go back home—I realized that all in all, if it were entirely up to me, I don’t know that I would ever get around to going on a vacation in the first place.  (I do go on vacations, but that’s because Janet really likes to get away and go do something different.)

But, while I have a hard time summoning up my inner Tom Sawyer, I have a really easy time summoning up my inner Huck.  Huck just walks away from all responsibilities, floats down a river and deals with whatever comes his way.  I like that idea a lot.  I would really enjoy heading off to the mountains with a big stack of books and no responsibilities.  Yet, none of the students in the tutorial liked that idea at all; they are all weighed down with a world of expectations, both from others and themselves, about what they need to do.  I suppose I too am weighed down by responsibilities—having a family and a mortgage are responsibilities—and so, I too, like them, don’t just wander off to the river and start floating.  But, some days, I’d like to.

Huckleberry Finn is a Great Book.  Much to my surprise, none of the students in the tutorial were all that enamored with it; they all thought it was good, but none of them was enraptured.  I really like it—it’s funny and deep.  It makes me think.  This must be the 5^th or 6^th time I’ve read it, and I still had a marvelous time traveling with Huck.  I have no doubt I’ll read it again someday.

Strangely, I do not have the same feeling about Tom Sawyer (the book, not the character).  I’ve only read that book once.  I always think I should reread it, but I never get around to it.  Yes, I know TS does not have nearly the depth of HF; I have never seen Tom Sawyer on a list of Great Books.  But even still—I like reading Twain, I like the characters, so why don’t I really want to reread Tom Sawyer?

Tom Sawyer also prompted a song I rather like—but the song never makes me want to reread the book either.