I'm Baaaaaaack!

I'm home! Our trip was a huge success and oh so much fun! I will post pictures and write it about it later. Right now, though, I want to share something from one of my favorite books, East of Eden. I am hosting book club at my house on Wednesday and this is the book we are discussing. I read it last year, but needed to re-read it to host the discussion properly. Since I was going to be in the car for 16 hours (roundtrip), I borrowed the audio version from my library (22 discs, people, and I am through 12 of them). Listening to it has opened up even more loveliness for me. This is truly a book you must read and re-read. Here is a passage I love.

I don't know where being a servant came into disrepute. It is the refuge of the philosopher, the food of the lazy, and, properly carried out, it is a position of power, even of love. I can't understand why more intelligent people don't take it as a career--learn to do it well and reap its benefits. A good servant has absolute security, not because of his master's kindness, but because of habit and indolence. It's a hard thing for a man to change spices or lay out his own socks. He'll keep a a bad servant rather than change. But a good servant, and I am an excellent one, can completely control his master, tell him what to think, how to act, whom to marry, when to divorce, reduce him to terror as a discipline, or distribute happiness to him, and finally be mentioned in his will. If I had wished I could have robbed, stripped, and beaten anyone I've worked for and come away with thanks. Finally, in my circumstances I am unprotected. My master will defend me, protect me. You have to work and worry. I work less and worry less. And I am a good servant. A bad one does no work and does no worrying, and he still is fed, clothed, and protected. I don't know any profession where the field is so cluttered with incompetents and where excellence is so rare.