Bird by Bird

I started reading the book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott this week. It is fantastic. When buying the book for my capstone course I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from it, but it is exactly what the title suggests - instructions on writing novels short stories and just on life in general. I particularly love when Lamott talks about the "Bird by Bird" metaphor. Here is the passage:

"Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. It was due the next day. we were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said 'Bird by bird buddy. Just take it bird by bird'"

To me, this passage represents life in general. So many things in my life are overwhelming this semester: photo editing at the Missourian, capstone, my current part time job demanding too much of my time, the imminence of my graduation from college, the stress of finding a job, choosing a career, and wondering what it is life has in store for me.

This all seems like a lot. But I think the way to handle it is how Lamott describes her little brother's paper. It's funny how the same advice can relate to people in completely different stages in life. This is the kind of book that I can see myself reading over and over and finding a new meaning or inspiration from it every time. I'm almost done and I already want to read it again. There are several other passages I could go on about but I think I'm going to leave it at that for today.