In The Eye of a Dragonfly

One day an agitated stranger approached Jan who was relaxing outside in the sun. He waved a handgun in her direction, and sincerely offered to put her “out of her misery”. After a few moments of hesitation Jan dropped her head a notch to the side, smiled, looked up, and calmly replied, “No thanks, I’ll pass. I’m quite happy the way I am. Now let me ask, how are you?”

Take one small child; mix with polio, an iron lung, years spent in hospitals, numerous surgeries, and an almost total loss of motor ability (but not pain). Add a dysfunctional natural family, an extended Mafia family, murder, rape, violent beatings, and a mysterious suicide, and you have the conditions and events that shaped Jan’s body and life. Amazingly, those circumstances don’t contain her real story, which is the development of her mind, her ability to make friends, build communities, and to share her happiness with others. What then are the basic components of a good life, if not health, family, mobility, safety, and independence? Through Jan’s touching, and sometimes humorous conversation, we see exactly how her life developed into one filled with wisdom, and mindful presence. She leads a normal happy life, goes to university, falls in love, starts a couple of businesses, immerses herself in nature, and whatever appears before her. The reader becomes aware that what Jan experienced was not a disability, but the ground upon which to build a strong and compassionate mind. Tales about Jan's caregivers offer some basic training points for attendants, and illustrate the dissonant counterpoint that can occur between caregiver and care receiver, especially in a long-term relationship. Throughout the story there are inklings of the paranormal, as well as spiritual and mystical understandings. Put your chair back and enjoy a trip across the decades, be reminded of low (really low) technology, times of racial unrest and the feminist movement. Through it all, Jan's story illustrates how to live life to the fullest, and how best to prepare for death, by being absolutely committed to every possible moment in life. Readers are inspired to do the same. For almost anyone, something can be learned in this book.

Viviann Plenge’s professional life as a psychologist in western Canada, was spent counseling at a small city college and university. A student of human nature, Viviann marvels at the ways in which people’s lives can be transformed by cognitive events, conscious awareness, and even laughter. Fascinated by astonishing tales related to living joyful and compassionate lives, she looks for stories that dually serve as bellwether and beacon to anyone who wants to lead a meaningful life. Viviann is also a poet who caches away a few new lines of verse every morning. Her next intention is to complete and publish two books of poetry.