J.D. Salinger passed away a couple of hours ago at the ripe old age of 91. As the author of the Catcher in the Rye I thought of him as an interesting character mostly because he created my favourite character.
I have followed Holden Caulfield's adventures yearly since the age of 14, and I am always pleasantly disturbed by his antics. I have been asked several times why the Catcher in the Rye is my favourite book, and also why he is my favourite character. The truth is that I don't really know the answer, but I do however, always answer the question.
I say that his version of humurous depression amuses me, that I love his negativity towards the world, that his honesty is refreshing, but those are all lies. I am intrigued by Holden because I really don't understand him, because being privy to his mind's meanderings enables me to lose my mind for awhile. It is because I am so borishly sane and normal that I enjoy escaping into his world.
I selfishly thought that I was the only one that experienced this book this way, that I was the only one that "got it". I found out on Facebook that he died, and I found out from people that also love the book, and also feel close to it the same way that I do.
So that got me thinking....how many other things are there, that I assume and take comfort in thinking belong to me, experiences that I deem sacred, but which are actually shared with others? Can anything ever belong only to you? I am going to assume not, as once they are in the mainstream and can be easily consumed by others, they are no longer personal, they don't belong to you anymore, they belong to everyone.
Realizing that I share this book with others will change it for me. I imagine that when I next read it I will be forced to think of others who have read it, do read it, or are reading it as I am.
This is the most honest blog entry I've ever written.
Consume away! ;)
That's the big thing about the Internet: we all thought we were special and...we're not!
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