Remarkably Bright Creatures

“Humans. For the most part you are dull and blundering. But occasionally you can be remarkably bright creatures.”

Marcellus, via Shelby Van Pelt in “Remarkably Bright Creatures”

I heard Shelby Van Pelt speak at the Savannah Book Festival earlier this year and thought her book sounded interesting, but not for me.

Once again, I was so very wrong.

I decided to read it because she was so lovely and vibrant and so darn likable. Plus the cover was beautiful.

This was her first book and I simply loved the person she was and wanted to support her.

Which is somewhat funny, because I am and always be a library girl and the waiting list was so very long. I have no place for more books, so buy very, very few. Don’t worry – I still have plenty. The library needs to get more copies, though. I suspect this will become a classic and people will read it for a long time to come.

I won’t talk about the book anymore, because I won’t spoil it if you choose to check it out. Just know Marcellus is an octopus. I learned a lot about these marvellous creatures and will never look at one the same again.

But what a great quote. We are often dull and blundering. We often cage ourselves up and limit our world.

But when we open up our field of vision, we find the light. We see our purpose and our place, though often we don’t know that as we are experiencing it.

All those things you do in your life that you do that change the world.

With school starting back, some of you parents are reading to kids and helping them with their homework. Teaching them to be brave as they go into anew situation or biting the side of your cheek as you bravely send them off to school. World changing.

Some of you are going to work and have no clue as to the impact you have on others. Oh my, the customer service people who have made my day simply by doing a bit more than is required and solving my problem. The healthcare professional who soothes fears and holds hands. The lineman who restores electricity to homes filled with people who are uncomfortable and frustrated. The mechanic who fixes the car of someone who’s very livelihood would end without it. Also world changing.

Sometimes our purpose is bringing joy to others. Sometimes it is is bringing joy to ourselves. You do know that’s OK, right? To live a life of joy, regardless of circumstances.

With the serendipity of life, an old blog came up in my Facebook memories that actually speaks to this subject a bit. We were built for brightness. Sometimes we forget that. Don’t.

The octopus in the picture, by the way, is one of the wind-up toys in my collection which I wrote about in Medium this month. I was just unpacking them when I wrote that (yes, after living here two years. I’m not close to being done yet. Yay ADHD!) I think there are more if these toys somewhere. Some say I have too many, but still they delight me. And I don’t usually intend to buy them – they just appear. Or the Bradys find them.

Have a great week. Be remarkably bright. All you have to do is pay attention.

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