The book is a collection of essays designed by the author to present an autobiographical sketch of his development as a person. The conceptual underpinning of the book as project is that the rich, varied life experiences of the author, as seen through the prism of his philosophical reflections, present an interesting narrative that readers would find appealing because they are at once both personal and universal. The author starts by declaring that he is an activist, and he sees reality from that perspective. He goes on to trace what he considers his roots in terms of actual early life experiences and ideological journey, giving the reader an initial sense of who the author is. The first transition informs the reader about the author's relocation to Indonesia. This is followed by an individualized narrative about his family members that lets the reader peek into the author's operating concepts both as partner to his wife and parent to his children. This is followed by stories about persons that influenced his growth as a person, again giving the reader a sense of the author's core values. The second transition is about his relocation to the United States that entailed personal sacrifices from both the author and his wife. The next grouping of essays deals with the author's philosophical reflections on what he considers important life-altering topics. The book ends with two essays that deal with sickness and death and how coping with these has profoundly shaped his view of life.

Auszug. � Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

A Life That Matters

Autobiographical Essays of a Filipino ActivistBy Rey Abaya

AuthorHouse

Copyright � 2009 Rey Abaya
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-4031-4

Chapter 1. The Activist Perspective.....................................3Chapter 2. Soulmate.....................................................9Chapter 3. Poster Boy...................................................23Chapter 4. Why I Wanted to Become a Catholic Priest.....................29Chapter 5. Tagaytay and Social Work.....................................35Chapter 6. Why I Wrote This Piece.......................................43Chapter 7. Badges of Honor..............................................47Chapter 8. A Long Shot..................................................55Chapter 9. Lifemate.....................................................63Chapter 10. The First Born..............................................67Chapter 11. Popot.......................................................73Chapter 12. Sleeper.....................................................79Chapter 13. Cherished Mentor............................................89Chapter 14. The Man I Admired Most......................................95Chapter 15. George Godinez..............................................99Chapter 16. My Special Gift.............................................103Chapter 17. Candles in the Dark.........................................109Chapter 18. Relocation Inconveniences...................................117Chapter 19. Exciting Things To Do After Retirement......................123Chapter 20. A Business Breakthrough.....................................127Chapter 21. Religion and The Vending Machine............................133Chapter 22. Jesus' Crucifixion and His Humanity.........................137Chapter 23. The Myth of Sisyphus........................................141Chapter 24. Nosebleed...................................................143Chapter 25. Angels of God...............................................149Chapter 26. Living With a Terminally Ill Wife...........................157Chapter 27. Hitting the Bottom of the Barrel............................163

Chapter One

The Activist Perspective

Last night I spent three hours phone banking for the gubernatorial candidacy of Phil Angelides. At the time I am writing this, Phil is running against the sitting governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a celebrity cinema action star . As I write this, it is now less than thirty days before the November 7, 2006 election, but Phil is still trailing badly in the polls. I think he is the much better candidate of the two, but many of his supporters have already given up on him. Last night, there were only two of us phone banking at the union office. The other phone banker was Gabe, a temporary political representative hired by our union. Even with the discouraging polls, I have not given up on Phil's candidacy so I volunteer to phone bank on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when I am not feeling too tired from my regular work.

It is during times like last night that I truly feel spiritually replenished because that kind of work really tests my resolve to keep on fighting despite overwhelming odds. The temptation to just give up and go home like the rest of humanity can become so overwhelming and emotionally debilitating that staying on despite what I feel can only make me feel stronger spiritually. I keep reminding myself that the world needs people like me to persevere in this difficult and thankless work because I really make a difference. Perseverance moves mountains. I keep reminding myself that in 2000, President Bush squeaked by Al Gore by a mere 500 or so votes, and what a difference it had made on the lives of many Americans. The difference in this contest might be 50 people like me who have not yet thrown in the towel.

It is not easy to call other people's phones and intrude on them during their leisure time to talk about the election and about how important it is for them. Less than twelve percent actually pick up to answer their phones. Among the live ones whom I might catch actually picking up their phone, about a fourth will give me a nasty piece of their mind. I often feel like an unwelcome intruder stealing a few minutes of their rest period. I understand that people are protective of their private lives. They are usually outraged that I dare to bother them after their hard day's work. Thus rebuked, I just swallow my pride and try to be pleasant and understanding. Once in a while, I get a welcome bonus in the form of an admiring compliment or a grateful acknowledgment of my volunteer effort. Even in the midst of their self-absorption, one or two people understand what I am doing. That makes my day.

I ride an emotional roller coaster during the three hours of phone banking, going through a range of emotions, from discouragement and despair to satisfaction and exhilaration. There is no financial compensation, and I expect none, but there is definitely a reward: my spiritual growth. I feel a certain maturing after every phone banking session. The heartaches and the letdowns serve as spiritual supplements for the true believer in activism. They strengthen the soul of the activist in a more significant way than if he had gone to church and attended services there. The phone banking halls and the precinct-walking streets are the arenas where the activist's character is forged. One learns self-discipline with every insult he takes without rancor, sporting an almost Spartan disregard for his own ego.

The activist is a very spiritual man but in a much different way than the usual religious person. He believes that the spiritual nature of man is shaped not through constant prayer but through constant action. Actions speak louder than words or prayers because in the realm of reality, words are cheap, and actions are much more difficult to do. Actions prove to the people around us the values that we profess to believe in. Most of us do not really confront the veracity of what we publicly say we believe in until we have to do something in line with those beliefs at some personal cost to us.

What we do from Monday to Saturday is the essence of our spirituality, not what we profess on Sunday in community. Sunday is the culmination of our "holy" week when we bring to our community the vessels that we are-empty, half-full, or full-to offer to the deity we profess to believe in. If we do not do anything good from Monday to Saturday, there seems to be no point for us to attend the celebration on Sunday because we come as empty vessels without anything to bring as sacrifice. There is no faith to celebrate because our faith is hollow; the values we profess to believe in have not been validated by actions in the real world.

This is not to say that phone banking and precinct walking are necessary for salvation. These are just some activities that activists can do. What I want to say is that activism is necessary for salvation. We cannot go through life without actively practicing the values we say we believe in and expect to be saved. There are a myriad of things that we can do to make the world a better place, to help build a heaven on this earth. Everyone must help if everyone expects to be saved.

The opportunity for us to help solve some problem in the real world will always present itself. I call this God's gift. It manifests itself constantly. We only have to be open to its revelation. These opportunities are all around us, waiting to be exploited by us. That is why I...

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