Events happen not by chance...

Events happen for a reason, and it is up to us to be constantly aware of the “whys” so that we can comprehend the true meaning of the here and now. This is a gem gleaned from my Paulo Coelho readings in my recent trip.

First, I got an Australian visa good for one year last July 2009. (They usually give only 6 months, at most, for tourist visas.) Then, Cathay Pacific sent a flyer in February – last minute – of their special fares to certain destinations. I was able to buy my Melbourne ticket by phone, using my credit card, as I was leaving Cebu on the last day of the offer. My dream of Tasmania was coming true, unexpectedly!

Second, I saw Paulo Coelho’s The Pilgrimage at my bedside. It was a borrowed book long overdue, so I placed it in my handbag for the trip. I was halfway through it when I reached Melbourne airport, where I had seven hours to spare before I boarded my plane for Hobart, Tasmania. 

Coelho’s ideas had me on fire and I yearned for his most famous early work: The Alchemist. He has an interesting take on the word “peccadillo,” which means a slight sin. It comes from “pecus,” meaning a damaged foot, unable to walk down the road. Thus, to correct a peccadillo is “to walk forward, adapting one’s self to new situations and receiving in return all of the thousands of blessings that life generously offers to those who seek them.”

My long airport wait would have caused irritation, on my part, but I welcomed it as it provided me the time to do the things needed for this trip. And time to finish my book. As I was crisscrossing the airport, doing what I needed to do, I was drawn to this particular bookstore, among three others. I passed it twice, before going in, not really expecting to find The Alchemist. I found some latest Coelho works at the side shelves, which I was reluctant to buy, as I wanted The Alchemist. Then, reaching up, I saw it! The last one, set back among other authors.

My third event happened as I was paying for my book. The young man tending the cash register got excited when he saw the Coelho book. He asked if I had read ThePilgrimage and when I answered in the affirmative, he showed me his inner arm with the tattoo of the sword of San Tiago or St. James. Two years ago, he was a pilgrim in el camino del Santiago and he still had goose bumps recalling his experience. He told me, if he could, he would walk the pilgrim road again to Compostela. We both felt like finding a soulmate by surprise!

Finally, as I finished reading while waiting for my Hobart flight, I was astounded to find an Australian mystic becoming the Master. The Australian finds his personal sword while the author is still in search for his. I felt a jigsaw piece clicking into place as I winged my way to Tasmania.