I promised Michelle Wilson ages ago that I would review her
book DOES THIS INSECURITY MAKE ME LOOK FAT?
To that end, I read the book and loved it.
It was about this time that Blogger began to take exception
to the web browser I was using and wouldn’t let me post. I solved this problem
by posting from my husband’s computer, but this was unhandy. That and my
challenged memory cells made it so little blogging was done, and the review
wasn’t done.
I changed web browsers and the problem was fixed. Now I could
post the review.
That was about the time that the water main broke and
flooded the office. We packed up everything, including Michelle’s book, and it
has been sitting in the garage for about three months while we waited for the
flooring to be redone.
So, tonight I began putting my office back together and
found Michelle’s book. Finally, I can redeem my promise to her. Never mind it’s been about nine months since
the book came out. It can do with another little punch.
First, let me tell you about Michelle Wilson. She’s
hilarious. She’s fun. But she’s also deep and able to articulate things that
are serious and solemn. You’d never suspect that she has an insecure bone in
her body. She confesses in this book that she does, even though, if you’ve met
her, you find that hard to believe. But when she starts telling you about her
insecurities you think, “She’s just like me!” This beautiful, vivacious,
talented, compassionate person has the same self doubts that I do.
What makes this book so great is that it rings true. Michelle
is Everywoman, and through the stories of her journey—a journey she’s still on—we
find strength and hope for our own journeys.
Michelle’s book is divided into two parts. Part one is
called “Learning to see.” It’s about perspective, and she names the first
chapter “All the Little Leaves.” She tells the story of her first pair of
glasses when she was in grade school and how, when she walked outside with them
on she was amazed to see that trees had individual leaves. Throughout the first
part of the book she helps us understand that it’s important that we see things
correctly.
In the second part of the book, the one called “Choose to Be,”
Michelle talks about forging on in spite of our limitations. Here’s a sample:
It’s okay not to be good at everything. I can’t multitask in
the kitchen. I burn things when I try to multitask. I accept my limitations and
operate within the boundaries that work for me. (For example, I stare at the
oven timer and eat cookie dough while the cookies are baking so I won’t forget
they are in the oven. It’s a sacrifice I am willing to make.)
This is a book to be read in the nooks and crannies of our
busy lives. Read a few pages over lunch, or while you’re waiting in the dentist’s
office. You’ll smile. You’ll nod in agreement. And you’ll go about the rest of
your day with a lighter step.
