Angela's Ashes

Recently read finished Angela's Ashes, a book i took from my sis bookshelf. I must admit that it sometimes took a bit of effort to plough through it, but i guess i survived it as it sometimes gets too boring nowadays that I just read on. But despite that, on the whole, the book was inspiring and can be considered a good read, esp when u realize that its based on a true story, a memoir to be accurate. Its amazing how Frank McCourt got through his childhood, the many deaths, hunger, illnesses, and other pains and struggles that he as a child had to go through. A journey that I am sure many parents today would shudder to even think of their child going through.

Below is an extract from one part of the book that is well... interesting to say the least.

Mam tells Mrs Meehan, 'The first telegram money order I get I'll be in the shop buying a big breakfast so that we can all have our own egg of a Sunday morning.' I look at my brother Malachy. Did you hear that? Our own egg of a Sunday morning. Oh God, I already had plans for my egg. Tap it around the top, gently crack the shell, lift with a spoon, a dab of butter down into the yolk, salt, take my time, a dip of the spoon, scoop, more salt, more butter, into the mouth, oh, God above, if heaven has a taste it must be an egg with butter and salt, and after the egg is there anything in the world lovelier than fresh warm bread and a mug of sweet golden tea?

Does anything strike you after you read that? Well maybe not, perhaps its significance can only be truly felt upon taking in the whole context of the story in the entire book. But to me the above extract highlighted to me the blatant complacency present today in me and many other people. The author was so simplistic... delighted at the prospect of having his own egg for breakfast. (Which btw he didnt get to eat in the end) Today, whats an egg worth? Discounting the brief period when bird flu caused egg prices to soar, eggs are in abundance and are affordable. Frank McCourt even likened heaven to the taste of 'an egg with butter and salt'. Thats how highly he regards and values an egg..

We have all gotten too used to the comfortable lifestyle that we have today. Look at for eg, the 1940s, when the war was going on and even after it ended, the lives of pple then were extraordinarily hard. Even MM had said that one problem facing Spore is the fact that many pple now take life as it is now for granted. Angela's Ashes is a powerful reminder that one should always be grateful and be mindful not to take life as it is for granted.