The most distinctive feature of Robert Fulghum's work is his ability to find meaning in the commonplace. He did so in his bestsellers All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and It Was On Fire When I Lay Down on It, and he continues to prospect this turf here.
Fulghum begins with a description of the daily routine of a woman during the first hour of the day and concludes with his thoughts on a man who regularly walks his dog in the evening. Sandwiched in between these two are in-depth treatments of a marriage, a funeral, the welcoming of a child into a neighborhood, and a family reunion. Fulghum skillfully probes the inner meaning of these public and private rituals.
But the best part of the book is his treatment of secret rites of passage that occur in solitude. In one piece the author meditates on his life as he sits on his grave site in Seattle. And there is a delightful piece on the significance of cleaning a drawer. Fulghum's up-close and personal look at ritual will enrich your understanding and appreciation of this important aspect of life.
