In five words: Olympic, inspirational, poetic, raw, memoir
This book came like a wrecking ball out of nowhere and hit me upside the head, in the best way possible.
“Run like a bravey. Sleep like a baby. Dream like a crazy. Replace can’t with maybe.”
I had never heard of Alexi Pappas but a run club friend, knowing I love to read, loaned me her copy of the memoir of this Olympic runner/poet/filmmaker. I took it to a Silent Book Club meet-up and read non-stop for the next hour, totally gripped by her life and observations.
“From now until forever, someone will know everything about me. It doesn’t need to be the same person and it certainy doesn’t need to be everybody – but whether I’ve had a bad turkey sandwich or dropped out of a workout or experienced something even more painful, somebody will know it and they will help hold that thing with me.”
She was very candid about her deep post-Olympic depression, and the treatment and changes to her life and actions that propelled her foward out of the dark.
“First your actions change, then your thoughts, then finally your feelings, in that specific order.”
“He explained that mental illness is like when you fall and have a scrape on your knee – except instead of the cut being on your knee, it is on your brain. I takes time to heal. Your brain is a body part that can get injured like any other, and it can also heal like any other.”
And this nugget of wisdom, from a friend of hers? I’ve enacted it tons of times for myself and she’s right: it really makes a difference to shift your mood and perspective.
“When she felt particularly overwhelmed or otherwise disattisfied with her day would put on PJs, get into bed, turn off the lights, lie down for one minute, and then spring out of bed and declare “NEW DAY!” put on a new coffee and have breakfast again. It didn’t matter if it was 10 in the morning or 6 at night – if she sensed her day going south she allowed herself this routine. It is the ultimate self-kindness.”
Because I was borrowing a copy I didn’t touch a corner or break out a highlighter but I’m going to need to reread it and do that because there is SO much wisdom in these pages: poignant, self aware, funny and so open, Pappas has done something special with this book.