I had a rather small birthday haul this year, although the staff from Dad was rather spiff! I shall have to find a working camera and post pics.

I did come back to vacation to find a gift from a co-worker of Purpose-driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?.

There's a handwritten note inside the cover: "sarudy, Best wishes on your B-day. I really believe that this book will be really useful to you. Enjoy it. God Bless you, - co-worker"

(you all figured out that I replaced the names there, right? I mean, it's not like my co-workers refer to themselves as "co-worker" or address me as sah-ROO-dee or anything.)

According to the preface, one is meant to read a chapter a day and absorb. I have now read the preface and two chapters. I've already had one book-throwing impulse, in chapter one, where our author goes on a bit about how nobody really knows the meaning of life, you can only speculate. Why, even philosophers admit they can only speculate. And then our author goes on to claim "Fortunately, there is an alternative to speculation about the meaning and purpose of life. It's revelation." And I had that same impulse that makes you want to yell at people on tv. Revelation is just speculation with mystical trappings. Just because it came out of your head and you feel good about it doesn't make it verifiable or magically more valid.

I'm cool with the whole "just looking inward leads more to self-absorbtion than purpose" concept here, but the "It's religious and I say so, so it's totally true" bit rather grates.

Chapter One was yesterday. After Chapter Two today, I am supposed to meditate on the fact that God made me just the way I am, it's like that totally on purpose, and this is a thing to be embraced.

Lets see how far I can go without getting fed up and just skimming the thing (or putting it away to gather dust).