The Spiral Staircase

Karen is currently experiencing culture shock as she continues each day, learning something new or observing a difference in traditions outside of the covenant.  She noted that even the way people walked was very different for her to take in.  She was taught as a nun to walk in silence and to draw as little attention to herself as possible.  Of course people rarely walk in silence so this was something she had to get use to.

Karen was also convince by a college mate to take another college mate to Blackfriars as he was struggling with his own idea of religion and what it meant.  Karen was hesitant as she held religion in high regard despite her recent dismissal from the convenant.  She agreed to take a guy named Jacob in hopes that he would find religious peace or at least find answers to his own religious questions.

I can imagine while reading through this book that Karen's emotions would be compared to someone coming to learn in our country for the first time.  Everything is different and people have a different way of thinking.  Traditions are not the same and society dances to the beat of its own drum, much different than someone would experience in a covenant. 


Reading Log-

Mon-45 minutes
Tue-0
Wed-35 minutes
Thur-1 hr
Fri-0
Sat-25 minutes
Sun-0

The Spiral Staircase

The book I will be reading for the next couple of weeks is called The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness by Karen Armstrong.  The book is the story of the author and how she left the covenant and entered into the secular world.  I bought this book at a second hand store so I am not familiar with the first installment which tells of Karen's life in the covenant and the details of her leaving.  The Spiral Staircase is the second part of her story and begins with her being in college.

Karen left the covenant because she did not feel that she was becoming closer to God but rather distant and unsure of her decision to be a Nun.  She requested a transfer out of the "Nun life" and upon receiving her dismissal enrolled in college.  The story is set in the 1960's at Oxford College.  The story begins with Karen being late for a class which in itself was a new found freedom as in the covenant being punctual was expected and showed respect. 

I am still in the beginning of the book so most of the story is about new found freedoms and observations of the secular world such as women wearing their hair long or being late.  Karen tells of the routines which she still follows out of habit such as kissing the floor when she enters a room.  She has made few friends due to her quirky behavior but the ones she has met are also Catholic so they can understand her practices and where she has been in life thus far.  One of her friends is a previous student in one of the schools Karen helped out in so it made her more comfortable being around an old acquaintance. 

I am anxious to get to the middle of the book and will keep you posted.

Reading Log:  Jan 13-19

Sun-1.5
Mon-0
Tue-1.0
Wed-.25
Thu-0
Fri-0
Sat-0