Eat Pray Love Book Club - Post #3 and Guest Post

My Eat Pray Love book club is hosted over at The Book Vixen - head over and check out what everyone has to say!

Today I'm hosting our resident non-blogger, Felicia

Today's prompt:
Having finished Italy discuss what the first phase of the journey has been like. Something fun could be that in Chapter 33 while sitting in an outdoor café in Rome, Gilbert’s friend declares that every city—and every person—has a word. Rome’s is “sex,” the Vatican’s “power”; Gilbert declares New York’s to be “achieve,” but only later stumbles upon her own word, antevasin, Sanskrit for “one who lives at the border.” What is your word? Is it possible to choose a word that retains its truth for a lifetime?

The quote I highlighted from this section was at the very end, and it's one that's really helping me come around to Liz's way of thinking.

...when you sense a faint potentiality for happiness after such dark times you must grab onto the ankles of that happiness and not let go until it drags you face-first out of the dirt--this is not selfishness, but obligation. You were given life; it is your duty (and also you entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight.

I like hearing her describe herself at the end of her time in Italy. I like the analogy she uses about gaining weight -- that she hasn't just gained weight physically, but emotionally, too, getting a chance to heal and just feel better.

I don't know what my word is; I feel like it's the sort of thing I'll need to put some study into to figure out.
I think some people are that consistent; they could have the same word for their entire lives. That they always have the same goal or principle or person driving them. I think other people are more inclined to change their word from time to time. Their life goes in a different direction from what it once was, and their word goes with it.

And now for Felicia's response:

Having finished Italy discuss what the first phase of the journey has been like. Something fun could be that in Chapter 33 while sitting in an outdoor café in Rome, Gilbert’s friend declares that every city—and every person—has a word. Rome’s is “sex,” the Vatican’s “power”; Gilbert declares New York’s to be “achieve,” but only later stumbles upon her own word, antevasin, Sanskrit for “one who lives at the border.” What is your word? Is it possible to choose a word that retains its truth for a lifetime?

As Liz progressed into her tale, she became less whiny to me and just a bit more interesting. I felt it was less like looking at like a bug under glass, as I started to warm up to her and in some places, and connect to some what she was feeling. I envied her living in Italy just a bit. I went on a tour of Italy about three years ago with a girlfriend and I thought it was the most beautiful place and tried to imagine living there. What I found most fascinating is her learning Italian (the words are beautiful and flowy) and finally having the connection to understand and speak the language (I tried to learn before I went, but I only got a couple of words). I understood that this journey that she is taking is to both heal her from heartache and to possibly prepare her for something, but for what I’m not quite sure.  When I read the part where she breaks up with David, I did tear up a little. It brought back memories of my own off again, on again relationships before I had the nerve to say ‘good-bye’. Although I didn’t break off in an email, the results were similar. I loved the fellowship with her friends, especially Luca Spaghetti’s Thanksgiving party and everyone expressing what they were thankful for. That was another teary-eye part for me.  I’m not quite sure why this section is named “eat”, because although she did eat a variety of food at different places, it wasn’t detailed oriented and food focused like I thought it would be. They were more of afterthought, but that’s just my own impression.

After much mulling over, I’ve decided that my word for myself at this moment would be SELFISH (I can see your eyebrows rising, you know. Lol) I recognize that I am a selfish person. My being selfish has a little something to do with my not having kids (that and vanity). When I was growing up, I had to share ‘stuff’ with my brothers, with my cousins, and other family sometimes. Once I became old enough that I didn’t have to share unless I wanted to, I didn’t unless I really needed to. I’d buy whatever I wanted for me or go and do whatever I wanted to entertain and/or make myself happy. I put myself first; I want to please me before I please anyone else. I don’t think I should depend on anyone else to provide that for me.  I don’t think that it’s a bad thing to be a selfish person. I can be, and I am generous of money and self when I deem it necessary, but for the most part, in my world it is all about ME. That’s just for right now though, at this moment in my life.  I think that word will change for me at some point, because everyone changes and evolves into something else. And because there is change, I don’t think there is just one word that we retain for a lifetime.  I think you will become less one word, as you become more of another word or words.