I just finished reading The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre. Set in the espionage world of the 1980’s, it reads like a novel; but it is true, true, true which made it even better. At a time when I was driving kids to school and baking quiche, someone else was leaving orange peels under a park bench as a signal for a spy ‘drop off.’ And that wad of gum on a banister? It may look like a kid’s dirty trick, but once again, it’s a spy signal.
Retirement is the perfect opportunity to read. I, for one, was watching way too much TV especially too much News. To be scientific about it, when you read you are using a part of the brain that is healthier. (Did I hear an “Amen” or “Oh sure”?) Our library system is so great. You can find what you want online, put in a request, and without going inside, the books are handed to you in a paper bag with your name on it. Browsing the shelves may be out but this is a good system for those of us who occasionally choose to still wear a mask.
The Spy and the Traitor surprised me because the players were the same as today. Russia, the US and Great Britain. The adversaries were the same too. Left vs Right. One KGB informant made it so high up in the mole hierarchy that he almost ran against Margarate Thatcher. If you haven’t guessed, I like politics. I consider it important, although someone could live and die and it would make no difference if they followed the world dynamics or not. But if a person wants to make a difference they can, and then I get to read about it !
Don’t rush to the library, I still have the book checked out. More surprising than the world of espionage was the price on the cover. $30 for a paperback! What! My books are never over $12.99. An interesting comparison. Could this reflect success or fame? Are my kitty escapades less exciting than an international spy ring? Yesterday, I mailed a letter. I walked in the park and drank coffee at an outside café. I am all about excitement and risks. Just ask Simey, secret agent 00CAT.
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