Medallion Hiking, Adventure, and Books

1. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and
2. “omelas.pdf” by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Click links above to get pdfs of the two stories

These works confront us with questions about morality, ignorance, ritual, tradition, compassion, and issues from which we too often, too easily turn away. As Ruth Franklin said in her New York Times essay on the 75th anniversary of “The Lottery”: ‘“A book must be the ax for the frozen sea inside us,”’ Kafka once wrote. Stories like “The Lottery” create waves in that frozen sea. We stifle and censor them at our peril.”
As is the MAC custom, no need to have any expertise or to have read the stories, although because the stories are short I hope some folks will read them. There is much going on with the imagery, symbolism, and setting in the stories that can deepen the reader’s experience.

• We will meet at the Karaoke lounge 6655 Delmar Blvd, University City, MO 63130 (but we are just using the space - there will not be food or beverages). It is a bit tricky to find, but the entrance is from North side of Delmar Blvd.
• Bring a beverage and/or snacks if you wish.
• After the book discussion, we plan go to a Delmar loop restaurant for a bite for those interested.

From Amazon
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Kennedy and Me and Five Days in November reflects on his seventeen years on the Secret Service for presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford.

The assassination of one president, the resignation of another, and the swearing-in of the two who followed those traumatic events. Clint Hill was there, on duty, through Five Presidents.

After an extraordinary career as a Special Agent on the White House Detail, Clint Hill retired in 1975. His career spanned the administrations of Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Gerald R. Ford. A witness to some of the most pivotal moments in the twentieth century, Hill lets you walk in his shoes alongside the most powerful men in the world during tumultuous times in America’s history—the Cold War; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy; the Vietnam War; Watergate; and the resignations of Vice President Spiro Agnew and President Nixon.

It was indeed a turbulent time—and through it all, Clint Hill had a unique insider perspective. His fascinating stories will shed new light on the character and personality of each of these five presidents, as Hill witnesses their human sides in the face of grave decisions.

From Amazon
The roadmap for finding purpose, meaning, and success as we age, from bestselling author, Harvard professor, and the Atlantic's happiness columnist Arthur Brooks.

Many of us assume that the more successful we are, the less susceptible we become to the sense of professional and social irrelevance that often accompanies aging. But the truth is, the greater our achievements and our attachment to them, the more we notice our decline, and the more painful it is when it occurs.

What can we do, starting now, to make our older years a time of happiness, purpose, and yes, success?

At the height of his career at the age of 50, Arthur Brooks embarked on a seven-year journey to discover how to transform his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. From Strength to Strength is the result, a practical roadmap for the rest of your life.

Drawing on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and eastern wisdom, as well as dozens of interviews with everyday men and women, Brooks shows us that true life success is well within our reach. By refocusing on certain priorities and habits that anyone can learn, such as deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, connection and service to others, and spiritual progress, we can set ourselves up for increased happiness.