This morning in the 10 o'clock hour of Midmorning, Kerri Miller talks with James Levine, MD, a Mayo Clinic doctor and obesity researcher, about his new novel "The Blue Notebook," the story of a young Indian girl forced into prostitution.
Author of fiction and doctor of medicine don't quite add up, do they? According to the Midmorning page:
Dr. Levine says the novel sprang from a visit to the slums of Mumbai and encounter there that haunts him to this day.
He claims to never have really thought of himself as a writer, but that the story simply haunted him too much.
It doesn't seem to add up, but this kind of thing happens all the time. Maybe not to this degree, but people do step out of their comfort zones. Have you ever been compelled to step out of your comfort zone? Maybe you're an average Joe working a desk job mid-life, and you've decided to run a marathon. Or maybe, though you don't enjoy talking to people you don't know, you decided to stop and help an old woman cross the street. There's a wide range - listen in at 10 a.m. CDT and share your experiences here.
This is an open discussion, so you're welcome to link to your related Gather articles or other online resources. Your comments & articles may be quoted on http://minnesota.publicradio.org/your_voice/ or on mpr.org.
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Eliza Hartley
Digital Media Intern
Minnesota Public Radio
American Public Media
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Comments: 19
I joined because I wasn't finding what I needed in my own church--a Lutheran one at that time. The new group called itself SPICE: Social Pleasures Including Cooking & Exercise. Exactly what I wanted. We held together for several years until the leader moved to California.
I found that while I didn't share the general emphasis on converting others to Christ, acceptance and friendship were still available to me. I was very surprised at the level of acceptance I found. I didn't expect that.
On the other hand, I didn't share my opinions about some of the more controversial topics such as homosexuality or feminism.
But a happy normal, normal.
However, still I will state my mind or opinion, even if it is against what others want to hear or that they think is the norm, or what should be expected. But that's just me.
For example - I feel that is should be ok for a man to be married and also have a mistress or two in a second or third own home, along with an allowance. Those homes will give the mistress's some financial security, a place to live, and I think that would all be fine and have said so on several occasions. I feel that society is in error in this arena.
I think, Richard, your idea is too classist.
Kat - That's great! You don't have a website, do you? I'm sure we'd all love to see your work.
Susan - Ha, maybe it was a good idea not to share too many of your opinions with your church group. But you make a good point that it's okay to step out of our comfort zone and make friends with people who hold opinions different from our own - we don't have to agree on everything to enjoy one another's company!
Richard - "normal, normal" huh? That can be good sometimes. Trying something new, though, can be exhilirating, don't you think? I'm also interested to see how the conversation between you and Susan plays out.
Sheryl - What sorts of things were you encouraged to do? Any memories of your childhood in which you did something new and exciting?
What about anyone else - when have you stepped outside your comfort zone?
Sandy - What's the most fearless thing you've done recently? Can you describe your feelings while you were doing it?
I don't mean that.
I simply don't like limits. I'm have a difficult time putting restraints on myself. But in order to live in harmony with one another, we need to moderate our actions, be respectful, be considerate.
A faith group that advocates roles for people according to their gender is, objectively, limiting. Fitting my round shape into that square-pegged box is difficult; it's outside of my comfort zone.
My dad was an engineer and my mom was not college-educated, but a very smart woman. Because we had very little money, my parents did everything themselves, together. I remember my mom pouring concrete and building brick walls with my dad. I also had two older brothers and was the only girl. Hence, I guess I grew up without the traditional sexist stereotypes - everybody was encouraged to do everything. My dad taught us about electrical wiring, fixing the car, etc. and we were always taking roadtrips and camping across the country and in Canada. We learned how to be self-sufficient from a very early age.
My parents also raised us to be very accepting of many differences. I didn't know it at the time, but I guess they were pretty ahead of their time in these views. I also grew up during the 60's and 70's when people all around me were challenging authority in almost every aspect of their lives. I don't mean violently, I mean challenging old, out-dated and injust societal mores. The women's movement was in full swing and we just accepted the fact that we could do anything a man could do, maybe even better in some areas. We explored other religions and other cultures - Margaret Mead was big and sexual behavior was up for interpretation.
The entire environment contributed to how I felt - just open to any and all possibilities.
That's great, Sheryl. It's so important to be independent and self-sufficient in this world, especially as a woman. If you ask me, not enough people know how to change a tire these days, men and women both!
I've really enjoyed hearing about the risks you guys have taken in your lives. Let's keep talking!