First Reason Why I Blog: My love for books & words
Father Eugene Flameygh, CICM: My hero
In the late 80’s during my theology studies I had the great honor to have a very brilliant and humble professor in our course Church History. His name is Reverend Father Eugene Flameygh, a Belgian Roman Catholic priest who belonged to the religious group commonly known as C.I.C.M., or Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (translated as Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.) I am an avid fan of history, I love watching them in documentaries, and reading in books, any medium. But I have never been a fan of it as a subject in class. I hated it in high school, especially. So, what made my experience with Fr. Eugene worth remembering?
Who says History is a boring subject?
Father Flameygh was the only professor I had encountered who made the subject of History so refreshing and entertaining. He could bring historical figures from centuries past back to life in front of the class. And with his signature natural sense of humor! Uniquely, he was also famous for his ability to stop in his lecture mid-sentence when the bell rang. On the next week’s session he would stride in front of the class and complete THAT sentence! Without any book or notes or anything. We were extremely awed by his vast knowledge of the subject. Many of us wondered how all those bits of information gathered over a thousand years or so since the beginning of the church could fit in his head. He was our hero!
This always made me wonder: if all history teachers were like this guy History subjects would be the most enrolled in courses in every school. I would never have had a bad experience of it in my high school days, either! His very imposing image was greatly highlighted by his tall stature, huge build, and graying beard and goatee, and a booming voice. The closest I can describe him is, he was the more handsome version of Dumbledore, a fictional character in the Harry Potter series.
Words of wisdom to live by
What has he got to do with my blogging? The reason I remember this great man of the cloth was his one famous mantra: “If you do not want to be remembered after you die, do not write a book.” I will never forget those words. It was not meant to be a joke, or a sarcasm. Or some kind of false humility. The wisdom behind that statement was be careful what written footsteps you leave behind. Because history may not be kind to you if succeeding experiences and events would prove you wrong.
The man knew what he was talking about. And he obviously lived by it. You try googling his name and it is very difficult to find any written trace of the man. So, I made the decision to be true to those words, too. For many years I have been wanting to write, like a novel or something. But the thought of leaving this world without any written trail sounds thrilling. If there is so-called “quiet quitting” at workplaces nowadays, is there such a thing as “quiet passing”? I just wonder.
A bulb went off
I began to ponder on those words one lazy afternoon in that resort in Puerto Vallarta. It occured while I was lounging under the shade and savoring the beauty of nature around me – the gentle glare of the blue ocean deflecting the setting sun, the rhythmic sound of the waves that were racing to the beach one after another, punctuated by the funny squawking of seagulls and the occasional preening of a couple of pelicans. And of course a tall pina colada glass in hand! It was just hours after my encounter with that young sea turtle I now named Chai. Also, that was to be our last full day in that tropical paradise. And I concluded that my hero in our history class was not somewhat correct on that one after all.
Books can – still – nourish our mind and soul
I have spent a total of 17 years in college and university after high school and have read multitude of books. They have nourised my mind and soul in so many ways. I cannot imagine life without books – that is, before paper-printed books were beginning to be replaced by e-gadgets or Google. But I now realize that I only remember the names of those who wrote the books that have had the real impact on me. I admit many other books I encountered surely imparted serious knowledge, provided me with tools to pass my courses, entertained my thoughts, and poked my intellectual curiosity. Alas, I cannot recall their authors.
Why? Because we get more interested in the writer when his words resonate with our life situation in a very personal way. There are famous and well-respected authors and writers we hear about, but their names are fleeting in our memory. This is simply because, great as their works are, the thoughts and emotions do not strike a chord in our heart and soul.
Well, perhaps I can still say that I have been true to the wise counsel of my hero. I am not writing an actual book. Therefore, I can still have that quiet passing. And, by the way, unbeknownst to my hero, I still remember him many years after his own passing even if indeed he never wrote any book. This proves my point that people do not necessarily remember you after you die because you wrote a book. I remember Fr. Flameygh simply because his example of humility and words of wisdom were written inside me.
Words as the most powerful force
“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” (Yehuda Berg)
The quote above encapsulates succinctly the first reason I write a blog. I have been amazed with my many discoveries reading other peoples’ blogs for the past 20 years. This is one thing we can be thankful for; the many wonders technology has brought into our lives are so immense. I believe it is time for me to contribute in my own little way. And this brings me to my second reason. To use my tiny voice in harnessing the positive force of words to encourage, to help, to understand, to listen, to bring change if needed. This, despite the digital free-for-all chaos on the internet.
