Ginny Frost
Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny
Lawson fulfilled the category “Book
by a Blogger, Vlogger, YouTuber, or other Online Personality” for the PopSugar
2021 Reading Challenge. I’ve read all of Ms. Lawson’s books. They inspire me.
Broken is a continuation story of life, mental
health, and perseverance. Ms. Lawson suffers from various health issues.
Despite the sometimes crippling effects of her condition, the woman has
published three books and an entire blog about her life, career, and issues.
She’s a true American
hero.
The book is a series of essays on various topics.
Many of them spoke to me on a personal level. I’ll be honest with you. I’m writing this on the day I post
it. I read the title a few months ago and realized I wanted a refresher before
I wrote my review. Then I fell down the rabbit hole and listened to most of the
book again. Her voice is soothing, and her fight is my fight. First, I
apologize if this post is wonky because I’m rushing, and second, you can
already guess my thoughts on the quality of this title.
One of the essay topics (more than one actually) was health
care. If you’ve read anything
by Ms. Lawson, you know she struggles with multiple mental and physical health
issues. One chapter was an open letter to her insurance company regarding her
medications and treatments. It was a powerful letter calling out this company
for denying her medicine and treatments because they didn’t think they were
medically necessary. I have struggled some with insurance issues regarding
meds, but nothing like this poor woman. Why do we allow insurance companies to
override doctors’ orders? Is this why we are in this state with the pandemic?
If we continually see insurance claim they know more than doctors, no wonder we
question the vaccines. (I myself am a believer in science and medicine and am
vaccinated.) A huge point the author made spoke of equity. She can afford to
pay for meds on her own and seek her own treatment. But most of this country
cannot. Most people are out of luck if the insurance says “no.” And to receive
a “no” after being brave enough to ask for help is a terrible, terrible thing.
End of rant.
Another issue Ms. Lawson discusses are those trite “truisms” people post all
over Facebook and other social media. I’m all about inspiration, but come on.
How many kitten posts do we need? (Unless they are orange kitties, and I can
show them to evilcat.) One of her quips really hit me. She made fun of “Live as
if it’s your last day.” She changed it to “Live as if it’s Saturday, but it’s
only Wednesday. This is some advice I can follow. We are all busy and must run
a thousand errands every day. And with the pandemic, running errands is harder.
One, we can’t get the things we need, thanks to shipping issues, and two, we
are so used to being cocooned in our homes that leaving is horrific. (I’m
speaking to all those introverts out there.) So every once in a while, we need
to live Wednesday like Saturday. Skip the errands, and sit in a lawn chair,
curl up with a good book, or stay up late. It’s good for mental health. And you
are a rock and can deal with a wonky Thursday once in a while.
Last, I wanted to mention her tweet that went so
viral it ended up in the New York Times. It’s about awkward moments. The section made me laugh out
loud. If you read the book, be sure your bladder is empty. Thousands of people
shared their awkward “Have a good flight” moment (when you wish the ticket
clerk the same…). My favorite is one from work. Many times I say things like “I
hope your books are wonderful” or “Happy Reading!” to my patron. Then they wish
it back on me, and I grin. I have done 1000 more awkward things, but I’m not
ready to admit more in print.
I give Broken (in
the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson Five Stuffed Alligators with adorable names.