I love reading.
I love reading historical fiction novels, medical thrillers, poetry, short stories - any story that is riveting.
Right now, the novel that I am working through, is Unbroken. (Yes, it's the book that the movie coming out this year is based on). I don't always read a novel that is tied to a movie (or vice versa). Most of the time, if I really enjoy a movie, I will buy the book. Sometimes I simply luck out and in a random selection of novels, I pick one out that later shows up in Hollywood.
This book is captivating, terrifying, absolutely unbelievable. What I didn't know before reading it, is that it is a true story. This makes it even more intensely amazing to read. I have broken down into full-out sobs hearing about the cruelty and the suffering that so many people went through.
I mean, we all study war. We all hear about POW camps and the atrocities that happen. We see on the news all of the depraved actions that occur in war.
Reading novels like this one (and even ones that are completely fictional) always reminds me of how lucky I am. It puts things in perspective.
I am lucky to have been born into this society. I do not have to scrounge for food, in fact most people in this society refuse food for the sake of status. I was born somewhere where medical care is always readily available, from people who have studied and trained for decades in their specific field of tending to the ill. I have a roof over my head and things here are so easy that I end up taking many things for granted.
What it also teaches me is that no matter HOW sick I get, no matter that I will lose my sight, my ability to walk, or that I continually lose control over the function of my organs - this is all happening simply by being unlucky as far as genes go. This is not happening because of someone else forcing this upon me. I have not gone through torture...
In all reality, I have never gone through true, unrelenting, spirit-crushing suffering.
Yes, I am sure that I will forget this detail and I will have days of self-pity and wallowing and feeling angry and resentful and that life may not be quite fair.... But I am lucky. I still HAVE choices. No one is purposely specifically causing me pain. And for that I am grateful.