Silver Linings Lessons

by Libbi Sykora

So much has been said so simply.

Recently, I picked up a book called The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. Actually, I didn’t pick it up, but I downloaded the novel off of Amazon.com. It is a novel about a man named Pat Peoples who spends some time in a neural health facility after a rough patch in his life. Pat’s main goal in his new life is to become a better person both physically and emotionally. He thinks that if he can reach his goals, he will be able to someday see his wife again and end “apart time.”

This book was really touching to me because the narrator, Pat Peoples, says several things that make a whole lot of sense. So much has been said so simply. I will share with you one of my favorite quotes from the book.

“I am practicing being kind instead of right.” – In the context of The Silver Linings Playbook, the quote makes quite an impact. Pat uses this phrase several times as explanation for why he steps out of his comfort zone. Sometimes Pat does things he doesn’t like to do simply because his actions are meaningful to his family. I guess a person could explain it like this: “You do things you might not like to do for the ones that you love.”

Personally, I took much away from this novel as a whole. I admire Pat’s strength and recovery throughout the book. If you are interested in reading this story, we do not have a hard copy at the library, but we do have it available as an audio book in our South Dakota Titles to Go e-Library.

I hope that you all take time to read this summer! As you know, Wall Community Library is doing a summer reading program for all ages. Stop in to the library to pick up your materials or head to our blog at http://www.wallcommunitylibrary.blogspot.com to download and print the materials.

If you have any questions, please contact Wall Community Library by any of the following means. We are open at 407 Main Street on Wednesdays from 12-7 PM, Thursdays from 9AM-12:30PM and 1:30PM-5PM, and Fridays from 8AM-1PM. Feel free to call us at (605)-279-2929 or email us at wallcomlib@gwtc.net. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook! Our name in this venue is Wall Community Library.

Pick up a book this summer that makes you think about new ideas from a different perspective!