Walking along Paseo de Reilly

I went to Ateneo last week to meet a friend. Everything was usual; the traffic along Makati, the undisciplined bus drivers along EDSA, the ray of the sun in the middle of the day punishing my back...you know, the usual stuff.

Just like Lisa Simpson's advice to her dad, take a nice long walk if you can't anymore take the swirling thoughts in your brain. I decided to walk around the campus while waiting for my friend (and for the benefit concert). I didn't actually care where I was going, the important thing for me was to walk around and straighten my deranged thoughts. Then I saw this narrow road called Paseo de Reilly. I'm not so sure if this Reilly is a true-to-life person but according to my friend, Reilly was a Jesuit who was mugged in that place. Tsk tsk, poor guy. A Jesuit who was mugged in his own baluarte. Anyway, I passed by Paseo de Reilly several times while walking around. One time I even slipped and almost hit my head (2 things: good thing no one was there to see this very embarrassing moment, or too bad no one was there if ever I hit my head and I needed help).

Come concert time. I was so sleepy and I was sorely tempted to go home after hearing two or three songs (I went to Ateneo right after my shift. Lesson learned: sleep, sleep and sleep if you came from work). But since I was already there, I decided to stay even if it means sleeping throughout the concert. I was already falling from my seat inside the Church of the Gesu when suddenly, 'Love is the answer' was sung. I didn't expect it since most of the songs I heard were composed by Jesuits such as Fr. Manoling Francisco and Fr. Arnel Aquino, and hearing a Raymond Hannisian song (who I bet not most of you know) in the midst of a 'religious' concert seems a little out of place. But what I did not expect the most was that 'Love is the answer' made me cry. Yes, cry (you know, when your eyes start to swell and water comes out of it). I've heard and sang that song like a million times and this is the only instance it made me cry. It brought back a lot of memories.

Until now, I'm still listening to 'Love is the answer.' I'm also studying the music sheet so I can play it on my piano. Most importantly, that song made me realize that love is the answer to all of my questions, and love is the only thing that will help me stop my endless wandering. Looking back, my endless wandering are my struggles I wrote about on my previous entries. I don't know how will my struggles end, but I know it will come to an end. I don't know how, but I know it will be shown to me one step at a time. 

I'll be in Ateneo again next week. And yes, I will pass by Paseo de Reilly once again. That long, narrow and slippery road where I almost bumped my head. Don't worry, I'll wear a helmet next time I walk along that road. That way my head is safe and sound.