Wednesday, February 14, 2007
For Passion Doesn't Die ...
Snow had fallen so quietly over the past few hours while I sat in front of the living room dinning table, rigorously preparing for my very first tutorial section tomorrow evening. I wish I could be the first one to step out of the house and see the perfectly untreaded snow field outside before the early-morning risers overlook and destroy the serenity of that flatness in the midst of their early-morning rush.A friend of mine graciously shared with me his latest book just recently came out in TW, one that shouldn't be the most relaxing read after a long night of section preparation but one that I somehow could not put down even after a long night of section prep. Putting aside the language of flying passion across every page of the book for a moment, it is the firm, thriving faith in what is nowadays often ridiculed if not entirely forgotten by those who claim to have experienced the world or grown in age - idealism - is what drew my eyes.
One of the commentaries on the book regards this book (and my friend) as a precious jewel in this day and age where passion, idealism, and faith have long lost their grip on the hearts of the populace. "Innocent passions & humble pursuits of ideals," as the commentator readily writes, stand as core values that characterize this book, a unique work of art that stands against the tides/waves of the day too often caught up with pragmatism, personal gain, if not utter cynicism or all together long-abandoned hope in the possibility of change, whether the positive or the progressive.
What shook me more is to move from the pages of the book to the contemplation on the question of what would characterize my very own passions and in what particular way have I or will I continue to pursue such passions before becoming too jaded by the values and standards of the world out there. Still too abstract for a full-length discussion, I know (esp. given that it's 4 am in the morning), but I just want to write this down as a reminder to myself - passion doesn't die; it's just a question of how you sustain it persistently, pursue it actively, and conscienciously keep it burning like a blazing fire.
For the passions long beheld and those dreams/goals not yet realized. Each day is a golden opportunity to move closer towards that ultimate end, isn't it?
梅ちゃん at 5:45:00 PM