3 Life Lessons from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
I read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie as part of a book club at work. Out of all the books we’ve read so far, Diary definitely left an impact. I loved it. And I 10/10 recommend it for lovers of The Alchemist and Educated.
Diary is a YA and semi-autobiographical novel following the story of Arnold Spirit, Jr. A freshman at Wellpinit High and a Spokane Reservation Indian, “Junior” takes readers on his journey of self-discovery as he moves from Wellpinit to the more affluent and white Rearden High. With innocence, curiosity, and a lot of self-awareness, Junior seamlessly immerses readers into his world.
Alexie’s writing is raw and relatable, and a big factor as to why I enjoyed the book. As I read Diary, it felt as if I knew Junior. I could feel his yearning for a bigger world. And I could feel his pain, choosing a path less traveled and leaving home behind. As someone also pursuing a path far from home, I learned a lot in reading Junior’s story. Below are some of the big lessons I took away from The Absolutely True Diary of Part-Time Indian: *SPOILERS BELOW*
- Everyone has their own way of navigating life — trust yours.
“So you take your cartoons as seriously as you take books?”
“Yeah, I do”, I said. “That’s kind of pathetic, isn’t it?”
“No, not at all,” Gordy said. “If you’re good at it, and you love it, and it helps you navigate the river of the world, then it can’t be wrong.”
I’ve been thinking a lot about how everyone else navigates their world. And, as what often happens when you think about others’ paths, I’ve been comparing those paths to mine. I’ve grown pretty self conscious about how I navigate the world and whether it’s even the “right way” to do it. From my degree, my relationship status, and even my likeness to Diana Prince, I’ve judged and continue to judge how I navigate my life. Am I doing well enough? Should I be getting a masters? Dating more? Working out?
The key thing about all of these thoughts is that it often stems from judging myself on a scale that’s — frankly — not mine.
Gordy’s quote above is a good reminder for all of us. It’s not about others’ paths. It’s not about others’ expectations. It’s simply about your own life and how you love navigating it. It’s funny. If I just quiet the comparisons and the scales of the world, I actually quite love how I navigate.
How do you like navigating your world?
“We were supposed to be happy with our limitations. But there was no way Penelope and I were going to sit still. Nope, we both wanted to fly:…”
This interaction stuck with me because of its callout to limitations. It’s synonymous to something I’ve often heard growing up: “you should be grateful”.
I’ve found that these statements are dangerous. Because while they have the power to generate humility, they also have the power to generate apathy. Growing up, humility and gratitude were generated by counting my blessings. And generate gratitude I did. But at a point, I could also feel my counts creating indifference. I could feel myself enjoying the comfort of home, when I knew deep down that I longed for the world. The same is here for Junior. He’s supposed to be happy with his limitations. He could be happy with his grandmother, his parents, his sister, his education. And he is. But sometimes we have bigger dreams. And I think it’s up to us to decide whether it’s worth it to pursue them.
2. There is always something lost with something gained.
“Think of all the new people you’re going to meet,” she said. “That’s the whole point of life, you know? To meet new people. I wish I could go with you. It’s such an exciting idea.” — Grandmother Spirit
I loved this quote from Grandmother Spirit. Not only does it speak volumes about the impact our grandparents have on supporting our dreams, but it speaks volumes about the wisdom from a full life.
My grandfather often encouraged my brother and I to go out and pursue knowledge. Pursue life. I’ve kept that to heart ever since. Life is about experiencing life, and people are a key part of that.
“My life has been magical. But I know I gave up so much. I know I lost so much beauty when I left.”
This was tough to read, because there is always something lost with something gained. Even as you go and pursue life, it often means that you’re leaving something behind. It’s a double edged sword, a Monkey’s Paw, the law of conservation of energy.
Most importantly though, I think it’s important to call out that “magical” and “beauty” are nearly synonymous. I think Alexie was on to something. There wasn’t a wrong answer when it came to Junior leaving or staying home. The only wrong — impossible — answer was having both. At the end of the day, for Junior and for us, it’s simply a matter of which one you’re willing to give up.
“The world, even the smallest parts of it, is filled with things you don’t know.”
This jumped out because it states something that I’ve always believed. There’s never an end to the pursuit of life and knowledge. There is always something you don’t know. What a wonderful thing to remember that I will never know everything.
3. The people around you shape who you can and will become.
“Do you understand how amazing it is to hear that from an adult? Do you know how amazing it is to hear that from anybody? It’s one of the simplest sentences in the world, just four words, but they’re the four hugest words in the world when they’re put together. You can do it.”
Similar to Junior, my life has been largely impacted by incredible educators. I truly do not know where I would be without them. Reading this was a reminder to not take educators for granted. To my own “Coach[es]”, thank you for being the first to believe in me.
“I am a storyteller because you listened to me. I am alive because you lived.”
This quote wasn’t actually part of the story, but an excerpt from the bonus content available in Alexie’s 10th anniversary edition. In one of the sections, Alexie provides a look into the words he shared during Randy’s (the basis for Rowdy’s character) funeral. His words hit deep, and it resonated with me as a reminder for all of the best friendships I’ve had the fortune to know.
What struck most was how Alexie attributes his identity as a storyteller to Randy because he listened. It made me realize that we are nothing without our closest loved ones. They are often our first listeners, editors, and teachers. I am so grateful for you all.
“They dreamed about being something other than poor, but they never got the chance to be anything because nobody paid attention to their dreams”
A similar theme, but a deeper hit. At the end of the day, I think we all just hope that someone will listen. It makes things real to be listened to and to be heard. To me, this is both an homage to those who listen, as well as a reminder to listen to them too.
Quotes from: Alexie, Sherman, and Ellen Forney. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Little, Brown, 2009. (10th Anniversary edition)
