My book club is reading Naipul's "Magic Seeds", a tour-de- force by any definition. What struck me the most was the immense sense of longing permeating every single page. The narrator longed to feel at peace and at home in the world. An immigrant to England and then again to South Africa, he felt like an outsider everywhere he went. He thought that going to India and connecting with the issues of the locals, he could understand himself. He got involved in semi-terrorist groups who expected his help to fight poverty and oppression. He found himself out of place, discouraged and confused.
He returned to England,profoundly altered, but still out of place.
The best part about retirement is the time to read, meet to discuss and think about issues out of our comfort zone.
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