Do you know Eleanor?

     Just finished reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.  Eleanor learned that the correct answer when asked as to one's well-being or health is but one word: FINE. "I'm FINE." No one expects an in-depth recounting of how one really feels. Several of my friends and I used "FINE" as a code word. We added inflection to "I'M FINE!" by showcasing a wide-eyed, strained smile expression.
    Eleanor's story stemmed from the author's wish to delve into the situation of adult loneliness and social awkwardness. What might cause a person to gradually withdraw into a vacant, sterile world and perpetuate the situation by withdrawing from society more and more, alienating just about everyone within her sphere. They did not understand Eleanor any more than she understood herself.
     For Eleanor, she finds herself involved with two people due to a happenstance and through these two who begin to populate her world more intimately that anyone could imagine, she finds her own voice and herself.

     Eleanor exists as the hope for those who love the Eleanor Oliphants of this world. I hope that the Eleanors can find a way to be "found," or "opened up" or even joined with other people without the social awkwardness. Perhaps the Eleanors can confront their demons and with the intervention of an excellent counselor and therapist and can emerge relatively whole. I hope that our Eleanors can find peace and love and acceptance and happiness. To whatever degree that is possible.
   

Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than fine.



      Eleanor of my life died last year. We'd begged her to go to the doctor. She refused passionately. I'M FINE. Well, damn it.
     
        Do you know Eleanor, too?