Once minutes
By Paolo Coelho.
Seriously, I really did call this novel once minutes. It was a few moments before I realized that the copy I was holding at Fullybooked (gateway) was in Spanish. That was last year. A couple of months ago, I got Abdul a second hand copy at the law cafeteria bookstand…this time is says “eleven minutes” on the cover.
Today, I finally ran out of Johanna Lindsay novel that I needed refreshing on so I decided to move on. I started reading as we were waiting for Uncle Pops and Tita Belen and the kids to take us to Brainworks.
After a few pages, I stopped. I knew it was going to be a good book. I wanted to savor the material -especially the poetic diary entries of the young girl Maria about her early fascination with love or the idea of love. I really wanted to linger over this book and perhaps get some new insights.
Coelho’s works unlike Lindsay’s encourages a lot of introspection. And as they (Coelho and his readers and the blurbs) say, it makes you dream. Lindsay on the other hand is more like a dream in itself. Do you see the difference?
When you read Lindsay, you enter a dream world…like in movies…some sort of a suspended disbelief. You know it’s fiction but you enter into a suspended disbelief and enjoy the ride. You get to know the characters just like in your favorite soap or tv series and try to predict what might happen next or guess which among the characters will probably get his or her own story next (yes, she does that a lot).
Coelho’s work on the other had touches a bigger part of you as a person. And as the guy to whom this particular book was dedicated said, was particularly helpful to me too in certain points of my life. Is it the timing? Or maybe he just writes the kind of book a person can relate to wherever or at whatever stage he/she is in her life.
I read The Alchemist as I had just shifted courses, it encouraged me to dream and to realize that life may take me to different paths but the prize or treasure I have been looking for is right in front of me…or where I started. Actually, it is in me. It made me dream, value myself more and realize that the whole world is before me… waiting - if I could just take the first step.
The second novel I read was By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept. I was once again lost and alone. My life as I knew it had stopped. I was on leave from school and had a lot of free time. This was soul searching time. When my life finally starts again, what do I want to do? For the first time in a long time, I was going to be alone and not part of a couple…I needed to move on and get my life and priorities in order. But before everything else, I allowed myself to grieve. For the love and what-might-have-beens.
I read Veronica Decides to Die as I was starting my chemotherapy. No, I did not read this on purpose. Each time a read a book by Coelho, I surprise myself. I don’t read reviews or ask for summaries. I read the blurb just before I start but by that time I had already decided to read the book. The reading of the blur is more a force of habit than anything else. Sometimes, I also ask if it’s good but that’s the extent of a third person’s opinion that I seek. No questions on what is it about etc…
Veronica helped me appreciate each day more. Maybe that’s the wrong term. Although I admit to having had bouts of brattiness and depression, I don’t think I went to the usual stages. Denial, Finger pointing (blaming others) etc. I think it’s more like the book was a “karamay”. I can’t really express yet how exactly the booked helped. I didn’t fear death. I was ready. I am ready. I appreciated the warning though. I know there are a lot of people who do not value life or the time that they have (I was going to say time that is given but Hilbay was a bit more influential that I thought). I’m glad that there are books like this that may help people realize the value of life. All in all, Veronica Decides to Die was a statement. I didn’t need to hear it but helped reinforce my beliefs nonetheless.
Finally, Eleven Minutes. Again, I read it just as I should. Or I think I should. I finally graduated last year and should be entering the real world.
Reality. A lot of people may argue that going into law school is not yet being in the real world. I have managed to suspend going into the real world by burying myself with more academic endeavors. In a lot of ways I agree however, that statement is not exactly true. I have graduated and although I feel fortunate that I have this chance of further studies, of still being a palamunin instead of going off on my own and working. I also know that it is a choice and it can change anytime. I am entertaining ideas of quitting school, finding a good job or working while going to school.
I’m thinking about my goals. How badly do I want them? How much work and effort am I willing to give? How much will I sacrifice? Am I taking too much for granted? Do I really have any goals? Is this going somewhere? Why am I doing this?
I’m thinking about my relationships. My relationship with my parents, siblings, grandparents…other members of my family. My friends, the people around me. Do I value them? Do they value me? Am I a user? Am I being used? What can I do to enrich these relationships. I’ve always thought I’m a low maintenance friend. I don’t demand anything and I try to be there for the people I love. Maybe that’s just perspective. Maybe there are no demands but there are certain expectations. How different are they?
I’m thinking about my choices. Will I be able to stand up and defend them? What mistakes have I made? Have I learned from them? How have my choices affected me and the people around me? What circumstances shaped my decisions? Do I take control of my life consciously or do I let life lead me?
Have I learned to say yes? Have I learned to say no? Do I know when to stop? What is enough?
At the end of the day, will I have regrets?
