I really enjoyed my first experience discussing a reading with members from the Oakland Senior Center. The first conversation that took place at my table was initiated by the prompt about what the “dark flood” looks like in our personal lives. The other members at my table just jumped right into conversation about how all three of them don’t have intense fear surrounding death or even ambivalence. One member even said she has lost so many friends already, that she welcomes the end of life, even though she finds her life to be wonderful. I really appreciated speaking with these three women who were so frank and open about such a taboo subject.
On a lighter note, we also discussed how throughout this book’s heavy theme of death, there were many moments illuminating the simplicity, novelty, frivolousness, triviality of life. The biggest example of this that came to every group member’s mind was the scene where Fran makes a perfect soft-boiled egg. As a group we reflected on how this scene is out of character for Fran, but how it depicted the enjoyment in simple moments and how rewarding just being present-focused can be, even when life never slows down with its darker moments.
I had a lot of meditation in my group on how I had focused mostly on how I could pick apart how Fran’s behavior throughout the story was due to her constant fear and confusion around such a complex idea like death. I was so intrigued by how the other group members resonated less with this obvious theme, and particularly with moments that are much less somber. I found it especially refreshing to have heard the other group members’ perspectives on how much intimacy there was among so many of the characters. We talked about how tender many of the complex relationships were in this story, even when these relationships seem taboo given the example of ex-lovers still expressing intimacy and love with each other.
Coming to Age 