Don Juan and Marathons

So I'm reading The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda right now... I can't get into it.

I keep reading it as an account of a drugged up youth in the 60s who encountered some really strong drugs thanks to an old Native American Shaman. I'm trying to be open minded. I am open minded, and I plan to finish the book no matter what. That doesn't mean I'm going to enjoy it though.

It's like, if you aren't going to enjoy the book, then don't read it. I agree. But this particular book, I feel, needs a chance. I need to give it a chance and read it through. Maybe I'll have to read it again sometime later, but for now... dang.

I can read Deepak, I can read Eckhart, I can listen to Ken Wilber. Sure, Castaneda is not on the same level as those three, but since this book and those three ... people (?) were introduced to me around the same time, I kind of want to compare just for the sake of comparing them. I can deal with spiritual ideas. I have a hard time with drug enduced hallucinations, especially if the author later on went to start his own cult with "three witches" (his three lovers) whom were forced to change their name to live with him.

Again, I'm giving it a chance. I'm giving it my attention, my patience, and my open mind, but this one is extremely hard. I considered that maybe I just wasn't learned enough to understand it. I'm starting to think, however, that it isn't so much being learned or not, but just like how some foods are delicious to some and harder to eat for others, Don Juan just might be my green pepper - not horrible, I can eat it, and at times it's even good, but I still have a difficult time with it.

That said...

Maybe I'll start training for a non-existent marathon. I think I need a goal like that. I can't do it here, but when I get back to the Farm, I'll find something, especially since I've broken up temporarily from Vball and Bball, I need to do something that forces me to move my body...

I'll think about it. It might be good.

Updated List

• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• A New Earth by Eckharte Tolle
• Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger
• The Path of Love by Deepak Chopra
• Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
• Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Olivier Relin
• Freakanomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
• The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda
• Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum
• One Hundred Demons by Lynda Barry
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
• Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer

The last three books are not in my possession yet, I'm quickly running out of things to read, even after I added two books that weren't originally in my list (CHW + Freak). Don Juan will take me a while, no doubt. I could only read 20 pages on the train this morning - I can usually do 30 to 40 pages. I'll still run out of things to read.

*sigh*

bjs