The Quest

In literary criticism, there is a method to interpret stories by using archetypes. In my book club, when I’m being pedantic instead of having fun, I’ve sometimes talked about the “quest” archetype, which is typically about a young man who goes on a quest to find his destiny, a treasure, or true purpose in life; or to slay a dragon and save the town, or something similar. Along the way, he will find a wise person or guide, an evil entity, a beautiful maiden, and a seemingly insurmountable challenge. In the end, the protagonist learns a lot about himself during his difficult journey to his goal.

I read a book last week called The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. It is a classic quest archetype written like a wise fable. I loved this little book, and I highly recommend it to everyone. It contains simple, sweet insights about being true to yourself and your innermost dreams, open to God’s guidance through signs in your life, and simply, in the end, never giving up.

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

I know for certain that I “accidentally” found this book so that I would have its calm wisdom to remember and draw upon. Please consider reading it. And by the way, it would make a great gift for a graduate.

Back to the trenches. Okay, I’ll admit it wasn’t the best weekend ever. The Velcade is definitely doing something. The first thing that it is doing is making me feel like I ate 100 jalapenos, all at once, with a Crystal hot sauce chaser. Let’s hope that is a good sign! For those AL Amy patients out there, prepare to have a stomach ache, lethargy, and a buzzing head every two to three days after treatment. Other than that, no problem! You have to laugh, because being miserable doesn’t help anything. Despite it all, it was a good weekend, and I received a gift of delicious roasted potato leek soup from my beautiful friend, Rebecca. Life is great, and my friends and family are even better.