Indie review of Texas nonfiction<\/p>\n

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As you read Sonja Klein\u2019s newest book, your eyes may widen, and you may wonder \u201cDid she really<\/i> just say that?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Not Yet<\/i> adds more fire to this West Texas writer\u2019s reputation for being saucy and outspoken. It also serves up plenty of the wit and wisdom promised in the subtitle. One quick example: \u201cOne of my favorite boyfriends, Billy, once described living with me was like walking into a fireworks stand with all the fireworks going off at the same time.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At its heart, Not Yet<\/i> is a call to action for anyone who thinks they\u2019ve grown too old and too settled to do anything else with their lives. \u201cThe anxiety of aging and dying should be replaced by purpose,\u201d she declares. She exhorts her readers to keep doing positive, enlightening things for themselves while also trying to make good differences in other people\u2019s lives.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now approaching her eighth decade of life, her own keep-going purposes include writing more books, operating her ranch, and staying involved in the lives of her children and grandchildren. \u201cAt my age I cannot participate in protests or run for office with any hope of success,\u201d she concedes. \u201cBut I still have my words, both spoken and written.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You can be entertained and inspired by this book even if you have not yet reached any of the alleged \u201cgolden\u201d years of being a senior citizen. Not Yet<\/i> is her sixth book, and she has said she keeps writing not for fame and fortune, but as \u201ca passion that keeps me alive.\u201d Her new work contains an eyepopping 92 chapters, yet each is short, typically a page and a half to three pages. Most involve memories, opinions, and responses to events\u2014whether out in the world, within her family, or within herself. And each essay or vignette builds up to a point to ponder. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can stay focused on living one day at a time,\u201d Klein contends, \u201cand forget about worrying about the future or dwelling on the past \u2014 if I can live in the right now, the present \u2014 then every day will be not only a good one but also a great one.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s tough, of course, to remain focused from one day to the next, much less one hour to the next. Life keeps coming at us from all directions. When Klein describes some of the unwanted struggles and surprises she has faced, she sometimes does it by blending light and dark humor in the same paragraph or sentence. For example, while referring to herself and her three surviving brothers in a chapter titled \u201cMoral Compass,\u201d she writes, \u201cThe four of us have been married 14 times, and if that does not show a lack of moral compass, I give up.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You may not agree with every opinion she expresses. You may not identify with all of the deep places from which her views and personal pains sometimes arise.  But if you\u2019re currently living through your sixties, seventies, eighties, or nineties, and nervously pondering what\u2019s next, Not Yet<\/i> can inspire you to get more involved in life again and quit being a sitting\u2014and just waiting–target.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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