Between the shelves of a bookstore
“Patience and humor are two camels with which one can cross any desert.”
Today I spoke with a book. Or rather, I think the book spoke to me first; because it was the book that invited me to chat. You might say I’m hallucinating, that books don’t talk. Nowadays, it’s common to have conversations with generative technologies, based on Artificial Intelligence, like Chat GPT, which can logically sustain a dialogue with quite remarkable data.
However, from the bookstore shelf, this book revealed a title: “Sophia or the Origin of All Stories.” I love stories! And, whenever I can, I try to tell them in the most passionate way possible. The title led me to an encounter with Rafik Schami — author of the mentioned book. Nonetheless, this is just a pen name, as his real name is Suheil Fadél.
Before avatars, there were pen names, which, in many cases, have special meanings. For example, Søren Kierkegaard, a 19th-century Danish thinker, used the pen name Víctor Eremita in some of his works, which means: “he who conquers in solitude.”
Now, what could these two authors have in common? Probably nothing. Except that they both used pen names. The name, Rafik Schami, has a very interesting meaning. Rafik (رفيق) means friend; Schami (شامي) means Levantine — representing a region that includes territories of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan. This pen name is linked to the cultural background of Suheil Fadél, who was born in Damascus, Syria, but has lived much of his life in Germany.
My encounter with Rafik Schami (or friend of the Levant) began with the title of his book, which caught my attention. So, I decided to walk to the shelf, picked up the book, and opened it to a random page — and I say random because I like to open books on any page, and wait for the first lines to catch me. And that’s how it happened, like a revelation, a section titled: “The Dream of Maintaining Balance” appeared, accompanied by an epigraph that read:
“Patience and humor are two camels with which one can cross any desert”.
At that moment, I realized that I was connecting two authors who were on separate shelves. I was standing between two shelves: on one side, the one with philosophy books, where Søren Kierkegaard’s “Intimate Diary” stood out; and on the other, the shelf where Rafik Schami’s book was prominent.
I believe there are more connections between Rafik and Kierkegaard, besides their use of pen names. Although it may seem arbitrary, we can link the words solitude and desert. Indeed, I think there is no place where solitude is felt more strongly than in the desert. A desert like the one in Syria where, since 2011, a war has been waged that has left thousands of casualties and displaced people who venture to cross the Mediterranean on rafts, seeking refuge and a future in Europe. War is an inhospitable desert that intensifies the feeling of loneliness.
We cannot underestimate the power of determination of those who decide to fight to conquer in solitude — like a Víctor Eremita, the pen name used by Kierkegaard — , with patience and good humor — Rafik’s bets — that can help us overcome any political and existential desert.
When we decide to engage in conversation, we do not realize where we will end up. That’s what happened to me! It all started while looking at a bookshelf, and immediately, many perceptions arose. Bookstores and libraries are spaces where many possible dialogues await us. They are like a multiverse with many worlds to explore. Perhaps, it’s time to dust off the book on our bedside table and give it another chance.
I propose some questions for reflection on the power that reading can have in our lives.
- In what ways have you experienced the power of determination, patience, and humor in overcoming personal challenges or navigating difficult situations in your own life?
- Can you recall a time when a book, its author, or a conversation with a piece of literature has unexpectedly influenced your thoughts or actions? How did that experience shape your perspective?
- How can you actively seek out more diverse dialogues and ideas in your daily life, and what impact might this have on your personal growth and understanding of the world around you?
#PowerOfReading
#ConqueringSolitude
#LiteraryConnections
