Thursday, January 19, 2012

Eat.Pray.Love.Read.Write.

Written 04 August 2010

by Crystal Laramore Lutz

My friend, Alta Gibbs, gives a whole new meaning to “My Square Friends”. It’s a working title to a book I’m writing about the women who own business’ on the Courthouse Square in Coldspring, TX. This little nugget of information will make some women squirm in their girdles, some will retain lawyers yet cause others, like Alta and Peggy, to hurry me along so they can sell the book in their shop!

Alta and Peggy’s shop is called Studio on the Square and it’s FABulous! Today I walked over there, across two streets and down the road where it is nestled perfectly in the middle of a long row of buildings; snuggled right up against an innocent tree that was almost murdered. They just bought it and are having a blast, those two! Alta defined the term “Fashion Icon” at some point in her life I am sure. She is a very interesting woman with very interesting friends. Namely me. Snicker. Alta is a gifted painter, a mother a grandmother and an entrepreneur. She is unstoppable and I really love her spirit. She is a no-nonsense kind of person. You know if she likes you and it’s hard to not know if she doesn’t. Reminds me of…

Alta and Peggy carry fabulous furniture, lamps, vases, jewelry, art, etc. My husband and I have bought some unique pieces of furniture from Alta and Peggy for the new amazing house we are building. He and I both have loved every piece I’ve picked out and that says a lot about their taste. I’ve turned on all my girlfriends to this shop. My best friend Scarlett and my other friend Scarlett and so on all love the store too. It’s like I find something new every time I go in. You just gotta go! Call me for directions.

When I walked in their shop today to give them some MORE of my money for some fabulous metal outdoor wall fish etc., Alta was unpacking yet more goodies and screamed from the back “Hey, Crystal! Have you read Eat. Pray. Love. yet? Come look, I’ve got a whole display here for this book. I love it!" As I made my way to the back I realized that indeed, she truly MUST be inspired! She had prayer beads EVERYWHERE. In EVERY size. I bought 8 sets. She had three copies of the book laying about and all sorts of wares from India and Indonesia. I can only giggle when I think of what Peggy must think on a regular basis about her spirited partner. Peggy is calm. Alta is the opposite. Alta is the hurricane. Peggy is the Island that the hurricane swirls around; makes for a great partnership!

“Oh my gosh! I love this display! Eat. Pray. Love. I'm all about it! When did you read the book?” I asked. “I haven’t finished it yet” she said. “Where are you? I’m in Indonesia.” Alta said “I’m just through the first chapter. I LOVE it!” I just laughed until my peach tea came out of my nose. Inspired indeed. By just that first chapter? I cannot wait to see what the shop is going to look like when she finally gets out of Italy, through India and into Indonesia. Get ready Peggy!

Alta told me she’s already ready to head out NOW. I shared with her my Eat. Pray. Love. story. I’m sure there are as many of these personal stories as there are women who have read the book. I told Alta that I had actual possession of the book for over a year before I cracked it open. Not my typical M.O. A book doesn’t last long just hanging round my house not being read. However, this book lasted longer than most just hanging out and visiting other people. That is something else I usually do not tolerate where my books are concerned. They are not allowed vacations or sleepovers with anyone but me. I’m over-protective like that. “You want a book? Go get your own. This one is mine.”

However, I had loaned out my Eat. Pray. Love. book to my sister, Jacqueline. We are blood. And not only that, I forgot about it. Shut up! I know! About a month ago I went to visit Jacqueline and she gave it back to me. It was just rudely shoved into my hand without a proper re-introduction. It made my heart skip a few beats. Oh! THAT book. The scary book. The only book I can recall making my palms sweaty BEFORE I read it. Why? Because I KNEW what was IN THERE…I KNEW the basic story. I KNEW she was my kindred spirit. I knew this silly, tiny, harmless book would awaken the desire in me to go travel again. As if my desire to travel needs nudging. Maybe I should wait another year???

But the dam movie is out! My bff, Melanie, told me I HAD to read it because we WERE going to the movie to see it. Which means popcorn so I was kinda glad to be holding EPL in my sweaty palms after all. I slept on the sofa at my sister's house that night with EPL right by my side on the coffee table. Waiting. Taunting.

Look, I was a happily confirmed bachelorette until HE showed up. I had really, truly had it (in a bad and final way) with men and their lies and their wishy, washy ways. And then HE showed up. And he showed up in big way. Kept every promise and then some. Swept me off my feet and put me right back on them on a beach in Hawaii with a wedding band and the promise of love everlasting. And he has been a wonderful husband. The perfect husband for me.

But still. The yearning to travel is the greatest yearning my soul has ever had. Not children. Not marriage. Not a great career. Not money. Travel. Just travel. I do love my husband dearly and completely. I do love my daughter that came with my wonderful husband. I love both of my businesses. I love a lot of things and a lot more people. But I yearn to travel. To marvel at God. To look what he made for all of us. To feel what God must have been feeling when he designed the beautiful oceans, mountains, forests, rain forests and all the people of the world. Sadly, my husband is perfect and funny and smart and gracious and loving and tender and manly and DOES NOT LIKE TO TRAVEL. AT ALL. He likes to be at HOME.

Travel is almost the be all end all for me. It was necessary for me to eat all the tropical fruits/foods of Thailand, pray on the beaches and tour the war museums of Vietnam then walk among the spirits in 800 BC castles in Cambodia and touch the walls so many have touched before me. Deep breath. I’m ready. I can do this. I’m settled in my marriage. We are truly in love and have a great committed relationship. And, he doesn’t care one bit if I take off for two weeks to parts unknown.

So there I was in a good place in life, marriage and motherhood, getting ready to go on a 10 hour drive with my family to Missouri and decided it was time to dig in. It was the perfect escape. And then he asked me to read to him…“Oh, I’m not at a good place to read to you right this second. Wait till the next chapter.” No. Read to me baby! I wanna know what is so intriguing about this book….“OK. You asked for it“…I was at the part where she was on her bathroom floor…feeling the need to…travel. “That woman sounds just like you baby!” Right! Which, is why it's taken me so long to crack it open. (Don't want to spoil the book by saying another word. Remember, Alta is only on the first chapter!)

Isn’t God funny?

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