Greenlights
Over the holidays, I picked up a book to enjoy during my trip. There’s nothing like quietly reading, curled up next to the lit Christmas tree in your childhood house in the evenings. So, I wanted to pick something not too heavy, but not romancey (not my style). So, I chose Matthew McConaughey’s memoir “Greenlights.”
Let’s be honest, I hear very little negative about this guy. People seem to like him and trust him; he seems worthy of the respect he receives. And me… come on, what’s not to adore about that guy? With that in mind, I was really looking forward to this read, and then it happened…
It all started on page 13 with the sentence:
“Catching greenlights is about skill: intent, context, consideration, endurance, anticipation, resilience, speed, and discipline.”
Don’t get me wrong, I love the sentiment and the idea, but things took a turn. It was after that start of the paragraph that all I could hear was Matthew McConaughey’s slow, hickory syrup, Texas drawl, which I do believe few can resist. But suddenly it was every sentence, every word. Even though you think you should have another voice in your head, you can’t make it happen. It’s always that drawn-out rhythm of Matthew’s that just seems to grip you.
One review on the inside of the cover said “Delightfully voicey.” Not wrong. Look! I was one of the first to sign up for the app “Calm,” to simply have the soothing vocals of Matthew McConaughey telling some dreamy story as I drifted off to sleep. It was magical!
But the book, it was different. I did not love it so much. I tried. I made it to page 48 and, as they say, I decided to close that chapter on the book.
I’ve been thinking about it often, maybe I shouldn’t be too judgmental… it could end up being a great beach read.
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