Eat Pray Sleep

At least that’s what I think it should be called. Having persevered through both the book and the movie I am baffled by the popularity of one women’s story and why so many millions care about her journey to self discovery. Personally, I couldn’t wait for Liz Gilbert to find herself so that I could stop wasting precious hours of my life reading about her jaunts around Italy, India and Indonesia (*snore*). You may ask why I didn’t just stop reading if I found it that tedious: a) It was in our book club and I hate to report that I didn’t endure until the end and b) I am a sucker for closure.
My hope for the movie was that Julie Roberts might spice things up a bit and add some flare to a somewhat dull storyline. But no, the movie plays out exactly like the book and does what it says on the cover/poster. No surprises.
So, why the fuss? Who cares that a lady from America ate lots of food, learned how to meditate and then found inner healing in order to love again? I’ve pondered what the hype tells me about humanity: people need to get out more. Seriously. Turn off the TV, flee from the local pub, put your security blanket into the wash and experience the real world. There is so much to see, mysterious cultures to discover and so many people to meet.
I know that sounds largely simplistic but I’ve become all too aware that we are consumed by what little of the world we experience on an everyday basis; a world that is dictated by what news we are fed, adverts we watch and pop culture.  
The protagonist in Eat Pray Love is not the exception; everyone has a story. Think of the strangest person you know. You’ve labelled them as weird and avoid them as far as possible but it’s inevitable that you will be forced into interaction at some point. Let me tell you, they have a story. There is some aspect of their life that defines them and you are bound to be surprised by it. They just need to be asked the right questions. And maybe once you know a bit more about them, they won’t seem so odd anymore. Why are there so many wars? Because we don’t take the time to understand each other. Okay, too deep for a Monday, I know.
So, now that I’ve totally knocked Liz Gilbert’s story, let’s take a leaf out of her book and work to open our eyes to what the world is really like beyond our borders of typical experience. And then, yes, maybe we too will learn a little more about ourselves along the way.