By Nikki Howitt
Content Warning: mentions of suicide, sexual abuse, rape, violence and murder
This Strange Visible Air is a collection of essays written by Canadian author Sharon Butala about the many nuances of life as you grow older, punctuated by her reflections and insights about her own aging process.
The first few essays begin fervently discussing the ageism perpetuated by an impossibly fast-paced culture causing the elderly to fall victim to the Age of Invisibility. This breakneck culture now celebrates its ability to attain answers and results quickly, leaving the older population, who tend to speak and move slowly (or arguably with more thought and care), to feel a relentless disregard and diminishing usefulness. Even though the elderly make up such a large portion of the population, they are undervalued, at times mistreated, and significantly underutilized despite their wisdom and experience.
Butala’s second essay on loneliness is both relatable and timely. Loneliness is a largely inescapable state of being that comes with the inevitability of growing older. While loneliness is part of being human, society recognizes that having companionship is integral for our well being and that the desire to be in the presence of others is innate. Therefore, it is not surprising to hear that loneliness is a common issue for the elderly when many connections are severed for one reason or another. Butala also states that while loneliness isn’t necessarily considered a social construct, as a reader, it was not difficult to make the connection to the current state of the world and the widespread loneliness and isolation that has been created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Loneliness is its own epidemic.
I only wish the author had continued on this path and sought to further challenge the framework and ideologies of modern society. My interest waned somewhat in the following essays focusing more on her perfunctory observations about the world around her, which left me to question the purpose of these explorations.
Butala manages to renew interest during the final few essays with regards to her pursuit for justice for the unsolved murder of Alexandra Wiwcharuk, with whom she was acquainted as a teenager, and in a subsequent essay, where she comes to terms with the passing of a family member due to a mental health crisis.
This collection of essays is part personal reflection and part apology, but the reader can nonetheless appreciate Butala’s ability to take stock of her life and share the lessons she has learned. While some of the insights are obvious, others are thoughtful and aim to assuage the discomfort and uncertainty that comes with growing older. These observations will undoubtedly appeal to readers of a certain age. However, younger readers can certainly benefit from her wisdom too.
Thank you, Freehand Books, for this complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.