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Upon Reading This Book, continued
One of my favorite parts of the Bible is the story of
Adam and Eve. I find it fascinating that there are two
startling accounts of creation in the Book of Genesis,
and they completely contradict each other. One could
be called Eve's recollection, which has God creating
both masculine and feminine energy in a single breath.
In Adam's version, of course, he comes first. This
original "He Says/She Says" also amused Mark Twain,
who wrote The Diary of Adam and Eve, tracing the
battle of the sexes back to the observation, "The new
creature with the long hair is a good deal in the way. It
is always hanging around and following me about. I
don't like this; I am not used to company."
To tell the truth, since I'm an incurable romantic, I
actually prefer Adam's version because it's the original
love story. After Adam is created, he wanders through
Eden and then asks the inevitable question of his
Maker: "Why are there two of every living creature but
me?" God realizes that it's not good for man to be
alone. I have always wondered if Spirit created a
companion for Adam as an afterthought, or was He just
waiting patiently for Adam to have an epiphany?
Something or someone was missing.
So Adam is told to take a nap and when he does he
has a wild dream. In it, God uses one of his ribs to
craft the first soul mate. I think this imagery is
exquisite. God removes a bone from the barrier that
protects a man's heart to create the woman meant to
fill it. The poet e.e. cummings describes this miracle
best: "One's not half of two, it's two that are halves of
one."
I think A Man's Journey to Simple Abundance deepens
and broadens the eternal romance between Adam and
Eve. Certainly, it was written in the spirit of bringing
men and women closer together by revealing our
similarities, not just our differences. Part owner's
manual, part guidebook, A Man's Journey to Simple
Abundance examines the private pilgrimages that
occur in every man's life and the compass that steers
him toward life's true north.
One of the most unexpected and meaningful
compliments I've received about Simple Abundance is
that it has enabled men to understand what's really
important to the women they love -- whether it's their
wives, daughters, sisters, mothers, or friends. As one
man put it, "You've given men the Rosetta stone."
We've tried to accomplish the same thing here. I say
"we" because this book has been a collaborative effort
of the first magnitude.
There's a reason it's taken so long for there to be a
men's Simple Abundance. The heart of my philosophy
celebrates living authentically. Being a woman, I know
how a woman thinks, feels, frets, and loves. But as
much as I adore men, I understand as much about
them as Eve did on her first day in Eden. Realizing and
honoring the differences between the sexes, I knew
that if there was to be a men's version of Simple
Abundance, I'd need the right collaborator to help me
explore the last great spiritual adventure, the quest for
understanding male emotions. I found him in Michael
Segell, the former "Male Mind" columnist for Esquire
and the author of Standup Guy: Masculinity That
Works, a personal and provocative dispatch from
behind the front lines of the gender wars. Think of us as
agents provocateurs dedicated to getting men and
women together again on the page. All of the
introductions before each essay were written by
Michael Segell except for one, which I wrote.
Frequently, though, the essays triggered such a
personal reaction in me that I felt compelled to flash a
feminine response afterward.
For my women readers, I believe this book will surprise
you as much as it did me. To begin with, the format is
completely different from the original Simple
Abundance, which was written as one side of an
intimate conversation between two women over the
course of a year. In A Man's Journey there are more
than fifty male voices illuminating what it means to be a
man today with a courage and candor that is at times
unsettling but always life-affirming. The topics the men
explore celebrate how and where the sacred manifests
in their daily lives, and often it's not where a woman
might think. Some of the essays are philosophical,
some heart-wrenching, some humorous, some
ruminative, some just plain quirky, but all are
compelling. Authenticity pushes us past our comfort
zone, so please be open. The territory may seem
unfamiliar at times. At the very least, after reading
these essays, you and your partner can look forward to
a year's worth of stimulating conversations (besides
discussing the kids, money, chores, and how
exhausted you both are).
For me, working on this book felt like living on a fault
line of the soul; I never knew when my own tectonic
plates were going to start shifting, and the aftershocks
were equally profound. I believe you'll be as moved as I
was by the deep emotional honesty of the writing,
whether it makes you laugh or cry. Like the best
books, A Man's Journey to Simple Abundance does
both.
Toward the end of Adam and Eve's diary (as channeled
by Mark Twain), the woman confides: "The Garden is
lost, but I have found him, and am content." As for the
man, he admits, "Wheresoever she was, there was
Eden."
Man or woman, may this book bless you with equally
surprising truths and extraordinary perceptions.
Perhaps we will have another shot at experiencing
Heaven on earth together. At least it's worth a read.
-- Sarah Ban Breathnach, July 2000
Copyright © 2000 by Simple Abundance, Inc.
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