Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Moving forward....

Part of why I haven't added to this is because it will all seem so anticlimactic. How do you follow up a trip to Belarus? I suppose I’ll just start writing, which seems a logical place to start/continue, and perhaps find the Divine in the every day of this Suburban American life…it could happen. So, with that, I will forge on. I hope you enjoy the ride.

I just finished a book by Mike Magnuson: Heft on Wheels. Ostensibly, it is about his transformation from fat man to thin, fit guy. It’s an interesting read, but I have some reservations. First, there is no way this guy can be an English teacher. I am certain, he meant for his colloquial style to draw the average-Joe-reader into the world of cycling, but it is often overridden by poor grammar and usage. “Me and him” as the subject…as in, “Me and him went to the store.” He misuses words...example: inertia. Where was this poor man’s editor? Couple that with the often disjointed and clumsy nature of his writing style, and it was a tough read.

And, while the book is about his transformation from fat guy to fit guy, there is little about the process. When the book begins, he’s fat. He starts to pedal furiously. He gets dropped. He pedals more. The next thing you read is his adventures doing Three Mountain centuries (100 mile rides). As a cyclist I was amused by this book, and his coverage of the different aspects of the sport are fun and entertaining. As a fan of the English language (I admire those who use it correctly…I loathe those who do not), I cannot help but think someone should have proofed this before it was sent out to the publisher.

I have also been sorting through some of the pictures from Belarus. Here is one I thought was cool.

2 comments:

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Unknown said...

I found your blog when I searched for an explanation of the saying "fish or cut bait." The page I entered looked like worthwhile reading so I went to the beginning to see if you would explain your reason for that name. Not finding what I was looking for, I became interested in your inspiring entries about the mission trip to Minsk. My husband has been in that part of the world a few times with the Gideons, and I have been blessed to meet a few strong Christian believers from there. Thank you for sharing your experiences at the orphanage.