Tuesday, February 24, 2009

I ordered a new book on Amazon...

Without going into details and revealing too much, I will tell you that I ordered a book today that I think I wish I had many years ago because it would have probably saved me a lot of pain and suffering. I ordered the book (I know...I haven't told you the name of the book yet - keep reading) because I was listening to the radio a few days ago and Z100 was taking calls from listeners who were "almost famous" because they were related to or otherwise knew someone who is famous or rich. A woman called in and said she had written a book and it wasn't a best seller yet but it was on Amazon, so I think that is what makes her almost famous. Before I tell you the name of the book, I want to tell you that I am actually quite sensitive to names and insensitive speech that is hurtful to anyone and because of the title I really thought hard about whether I wanted to buy the book. O.K. I will tell you the title. It's called "Winning Against the Wackos in Your Life: How to Spot Them and Stop Them in their Tracks". Of course, the word I don't like here is "wackos".

I have often felt like and actually have said a number of times that I feel like I am a magnet for people with mental health issues. I find myself lately in much thought about what it is about me that continues to attract people who are not healthy. So, curious...I looked the book up on Amazon and wasn't sure if it was the reading I was looking for and then I read an insert from Chapter 1.

The Nasty Habits of Hosting Wackos
I have two goals for this book: 1) to help you identify and deal with the Wackos in your life; and 2) to help you recognize those traits within yourself that could actually be drawing Wackos to you. We can't prevent Wackos from crossing our paths in life, but we can discourage them from attaching themselves to us when they do.

Then it lists a few things to ask yourself that really struck a chord with me.

Do strangers spill their life stories (often in embarrassingly graphic detail) within minutes of meeting me?

Have I spent my life helping people, being a good friend and more than periodically pulling the knife out of my back?

Although I hate that this book uses an incredibly insensitive language, I am hoping that it will offer some guidance for how I can stop this pattern that continues in my life. I am skeptical. Skeptical because I worry that if Wacko is used in the title, how credible will the content be? I will have to let you know if the book is worth reading.

More to come...

1 comment:

Lucy Chesna said...

good for you Carrie...I need this book in mylife too. I know I can tell many situtaions that I should have known but didnt till it was to late.