After the Quake

Five straight days she spent in front of the television, staring at crumbled banks and hospitals, whole blocks of stores in flames, severed rail lines and expressways. She never said a word. Sunk deep in the cushions of the sofa, her mouth clamped shut, she wouldn't answer when Komura spoke to her. She wouldn't shake her head or nod. Komuro could not be sure the sound of his voice was even getting through to her.

"UFO in Kushiro," After the Quake, Haruki Murakami

After the Quake was the first book I reached for after a breakup. I had been saving the book for a while, kind of like a wine lover keeping a treasured vino. How apt was the first paragraph, I thought then. While I never pictured I'd be opening this book under a circumstance like the one mentioned, the book gave me something to toast about in the midst of all the rubble. The wine became my celebration.

On another note of over-sharing: I think the paragraph captures how I respond to life changing tragedies events in general. I've never been one to outwardly flail and, as much as possible, I refrain from putting out sad bastard tweets. Please understand that for some people, staring at wrecks is the first line of response. "Stare" and not "glance." This phase usually lasts for some time.

On another note, this book is also where the following quote can be found:

 No matter how far you travel, you can never get away from yourself.

True that. And this I say with much optimism now. :)