A Treasure Found at Home

really?

really.

it changed your life? how?

i hear people say this about things all the time. “such and such book changed my life!” even “i never ate ____ until _____ and it changed my life!”

i’m starting to think maybe i use this “changed my life” phrase differently than others. i expect more out of it. a recent post on lifehacker asked readers to reply listing books which changed their lives. today i saw the results.

and, really, i’m stunned. ok, the bible was on the list as was some richard dawkins. i understand why those might be on there. i can see a fundamental shift in one’s belief system as an even worthy of the phrase “changed my life”.

but, “the lord of the rings” trilogy? “the hitchiker’s guide to the galaxy”? i’ve read both series. i’ve greatly enjoyed both series. i sometimes wonder if i should always have a towel with me, and i used to wish for hairier feet.

but unless you actually HAVE started carrying a towel with you everywhere, i’m not clear how this book, or series of books, could actually change your life. the only possible theories i can come up with are far-fetched and possible for only a small percentage of readers, statistically speaking. (you know, someone decided to change his legal name to that of a car and  was sued into poverty by the manufacturer of said car - that sort of thing.)

yes, “the lord of the rings” is a fantastic comentary on europe and the time leading up to and including england’s engagement in WWII. if you follow that metaphor for the series, you’re probably already aware of the political climate in which it was written.

i suppose i reserve “it changed my life” for events wich change the course of my life more than an average day already does. every choice changes my life. tasting spinach in high school lead me to realize i like spinach and to start eating it in scrambles and salads and crepes. but i wouldn’t consider it a life-changing event. i don’t believe my life would be significantly different now had i continued without spinach as part of my diet.

i did read a book recently that *may* change my life. it is part of a series of events (conversations, books, realizations) which has gotten me to really think about some things in a different way. but, if i stay on this course, i’ll only consider it a good book full of food for though. i won’t list it among books that changed my life.

what about you? how significant does something have to be for you to say it changed your life. am i expecting too much from this phrase?