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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Tuesday Ashland to host World Peace & Prayer Day Improving the lives of women is the focus for Soroptimists in Ashland Temperatures expected to drop 20 degrees Documentary about Southern Oregon University football's national championship team to screen for free Education New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Cars We Remember: ‘Topper’ movie car most memorable Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Blazers clinch playoff spot Thompson-Siporen second in decathlon Documentary about Southern Oregon University football's national championship team to screen for free Fantasy Sports: Reds’ Chapman opens list of top closers Bill Ballou: Pace-of-game rules are a good start to improving baseball High school Thompson-Siporen second in decathlon Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Landgren cartoon: European travel essentials Our View: One for the books Council Corner: Ashland’s climate plan Wry & Ginger: Daylight saving and our hour of need Letters to the Editor, March 30 Editorial Our View: One for the books Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Letters Letters to the Editor, March 30 Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Council Corner: Ashland’s climate plan Chris Honoré: Some political and social observations Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Ashland High grad performs at OSF's Hip Hop Open Mic Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright Theater Ticket Availability Review: From past into present in OSF's 'Long Day's Journey' Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Garden Cameos: Planning for a fragrant garden year round Book Notes: America’s Test Kitchen takes a detailed look at vegetarian cooking Food for Thought: Plan the perfect alfresco gathering Shayne Looper: Don't shrink-wrap the truth Improving the lives of women is the focus for Soroptimists in Ashland Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: One for the books ... Council Corner: Ashland’s climate plan ... Ashland to host World Peace & Prayer Day ... Our View: One for the books ... Council Corner: Ashland’s climate plan ... Ashland to host World Peace & Prayer Day ... INNER PEACE Breaking the rules of reading Comment By Marilyn Joy For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Marilyn Joy For the Tidings Posted Feb. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Marilyn Joy For the Tidings Posted Feb. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Inner Peace: The reality of creating illusions » Social News I’m old, and after reading the first two chapters of a novel, I now read the last three pages to see how it ends. I never used to do this. My friends would be aghast at such an admission, but oddly enough, it doesn’t dampen my enjoyment of finishing a book … nor add guilt to the mix. In fact, I’ve had a rather important epiphany in the contemplation of this new habit. It came to me that this is how it is with life. From an early age, we know the end of our story, that the body dies, yet we still make plans, fall in love, build things, tear them down — worry about such stuff that within a year will all but be forgotten. We know this end and still we enjoy the drama. We fret over what will happen next, squirrel away money or spend it wildly, lavish our bodies with expensive coverings or punish them with marathons and mountain climbing, buy big cars and even bigger houses or renounce it all and live in a commune. We make war with people and with countries in the mistaken idea this can somehow lead to happiness and peace. All this drama — of heartbreak, of calamity and heroics, of wonder, even ecstasy. Why are we not forever disheartened knowing our end? At knowing we will someday lose it all, leave it all behind, this life of accumulation. Why do we still seek to discover the story of us? I’ve thought about this a lot lately. What I came to was the importance of middles, that time in between birth and death. That roller coaster of ups and downs. Writers seem to worry most about beginnings and endings — can they hook readers, get them well into that first chapter and not disappoint them with the last? But if you don’t enjoy the middle, all those chapters in between, you give up and never get to that well-thought-out ending. Yeah, middles. They don’t have to be bubbling-over happy, la-de-da all the time. In fact, for some crazy reason, we seem to relish the rough stuff, the dark places, the unrequited love stories, murder and mayhem. Something to figure out and fix. Odd, isn’t it? Art echoing life, life echoing art … either way, it’s pavement for drama to drive on. And although I now can’t wait to find out the end of my novels and thus eagerly delve into those last pages, it doesn’t necessarily take the sting out of the story’s tragedy or slow the tension, or diminish the sweetness of a romance or stop the tears of a life not coming together neatly in the end. So, what does getting old have to do with this contemplation? Maybe because I’m getting closer to my own conclusion, I’m more willing to allow this knowing of the end and not give up on finishing my story — some days with the same anticipation as my once-youthful self. Or, maybe age has just made me more impatient, more willing to break these unspoken rules of reading. Then again, maybe it’s a deeper knowing that this idea of endings is just another line of fiction to feed the drama of living in this highly imaginative story of me. Marilyn Joy, former Rogue Valley resident, now lives in the Tehachapi Mountains of California. She still stays in touch with her Oregon friends and neighbors, and exchanges work with her former writing group in Talent. A retired teacher of art and English, her poetry has been published in a number of literary journals and magazines. She has written two novels, one currently in search of an admiring agent. And she says that although she could claim inner peace as a goal for most of her early life, she has come to find it is not a goal at all, but rather a moment-by-moment choice. The Ashland Daily Tidings invites Rogue Valley residents to submit articles on all aspects of inner peace, from intuition, guidance, courage, forgiveness, friendship, aging, joy, tolerance, faith, prayer and gratitude to overcoming life’s challenges and more. Send 600 to 700 word articles to Sally McKirgan at [email protected]     By Marilyn Joy For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Marilyn Joy For the Tidings Posted Feb. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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