Finished two Fannie Flagg books this week. I’m a fast reader.
Who’s Fannie Flagg?! Yeah, I wouldn’t know her either if I didn’t read her books. They’re bestsellers though, so some of you may have heard of her.
Do you know the movie, “Fried Green Tomatoes?”
Maybe, maybe not.
It’s no blockbuster that’s for sure. There aren’t any big explosions, or sexy women playing guns, or exciting car chases. I can’t even remember the plot anymore. But I did remember that it’s a good movie. It’s a story of a US Southern town.
It’s actually a feel-good movie.
Well, I’ve read the book. My colleague was nice enough to lend me a copy. Not just “Fried Green Tomatoes” but also the latest one, “Standing in the Rainbow.”
I liked “Rainbow” more. The characters were well-developed and the stories were witty. It was a story about a town and its people that spanned three to four decades, from the 40s I think till the 80s. Great book. Recommend everyone to read it. Couldn’t help but laugh aloud a couple of times. Some stories about Bobby, Anna Lee and their mom were really funny.
“Tomatoes” went back and forth between two generations. The generation where hard work and good values were treasured, and the modern times where people just don’t care about each other anymore. So true. Isn’t it funny that we have more money now, but people are just becoming sadder, emptier, and more insecure of themselves? Well, the book portrayed the differences well, in addition to educating us of a time where there was extreme racial discrimination in the US.
Of course, racial discrimination still exists today. More subtle, but it’s still there, waiting to rear out its ugly head. Isn’t it funny that we call ourselves liberal — until our son/daughter wants to marry someone of different race? That’s human nature. So self-righteous.
Says one thing, does another. I hate it.
We call ourselves open-minded. But our jaws drop when we hear friends hold beliefs that are different from ours. Haha, I remember when I first arrived in Taiwan, everything was clear.
Black or white. Right or wrong. How far have I changed since then! I’ve learned that a lot of things are actually gray.
For example, is abortion wrong? Is living-in with someone before marriage wrong? How about doing drugs? Smoking? Drinking? PMS?
Don’t take me wrong. I’m no angel, but I do take care of myself and my body. As of now, I’ve yet to smoke a stick of cigarettes (glad I didn’t start when I was younger) and haven’t done drugs yet (Never say never — unlikely, but who knows?). But I do try my best to keep an open mind.
What other people do is their business. Like I’ve said, a lot of things are actually gray. Who am I to judge?
Like in the Bible, who’ll throw the first stone?
You? Are you better?
Maybe that’s why I’m going to have a lot of problems when I go back home. I’m too conservative for the liberal, and too liberal for the conservatives. Too wild for the innocent, and too naïve for the wild.
Sigh. BIG problem.
But let’s cross the bridge when we get there, shall we?
Links:
Standing in the Rainbow (Fannie Flagg) – http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/080411935X/002-4531005-2192849?v=glance
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe (Fannie Flagg) – http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0804115613/ref=pd_sim_b_4/002-4531005-2192849?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance
