Wandering through blogs last night I came across a post about Dag Hammarskjold. If you don't know who he was, I'll let you read the post to find out rather than repeat the information here (it's good to wander around looking at new things!). Hammarskjold's journal, Markings, is one of my very favorite books. Probably #2 on my desert island list (I'm sure you all know what #1 is). Like the post author, I too remember when I first found the book. Many, many years ago, more than I like to remember, I worked in downtown San Francisco. At lunchtime I used to wander around to bookstores and lust after books I couldn't buy. At the time there was a big Crown Books on, I think, Post Street. I was in there one day looking around and found Markings. Ok, I'll confess, it was about 26 years ago. Anyway the book has been a favorite of mine ever since. Here are a few quotes from it that I particularly like:
Never, "for the sake of peace and quiet," deny your own experience or convictions. (Good advice that I need to remember.)
Maturity: among other things--not to hide one's strength out of fear and, consequently, live below one's best.
Dare he, for whom circumstances make it possible to realize his true destiny, refuse it simply because he is not prepared to give up everything else?
The ride on the Witches' Sabbath to the Dark Tower where we meet only ourselves, ourselves, ourselves.
One of the things I like about reading Markings is that it makes me say ouch because so much of what he says resonates for me. Well, mostly I like it. Anyway, give it a try, hopefully you'll say ouch also.
Robin, the lonely blog mistress
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