According to the Mayan calendar, today (December 21, 2012) is the day the world is destined to end, at 7:11pm (Manila Time) to be exact. I don’t believe this to be true because the Bible, which is the foundation of my faith and my being, teaches us differently about it. (“…the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”) But like many, I look at this day as the perfect time to reflect on the world, as we know it, coming to an end. To be honest, it really scares me to think about how I’m going to leave this earth someday (Is it going to be painful? Will I physically suffer a long time? Will it be as quick as the blink of an eye?). But the afterlife, meeting my Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, is something I look forward to with much glee!
So I will try to connect my reflection on the world ending to the book/movie “The Perks of Being A Wallflower” because this is actually what I really want to blog about. LOL. We really don’t need another site talking about the Mayan prediction, do we?
Perks (for short), was the first novel I read on my Kindle. And last night, I got to watch the film adaptation and loved every second of it! I’m happy about how the movie turned out because it is very faithful to the book (save for some parts which I think they should have also highlighted, such as the sister’s pregnancy and the father’s affection). But I think I like the movie more because of the perfect way Logan Lerman portrayed the character of Charlie. He’s just as endearing and naive as in the book it’s impossible to not love him!
The story of Perks is about an adolescent boy named Charlie who has just started his freshman year in high school. He is a wallflower – shy, unpopular, and misunderstood. But Charlie soon makes friends with two Seniors, Patrick and Sam. Their friendship greatly affects Charlie’s self-confidence and his view of society. But amidst all the fun, drama, and first-time experiences with his friends and family, there is still something peculiar about Charlie. As to why he is like that, it is revealed in the last few chapters of the story. Go find out! :)
I noticed that while reading/watching Perks, Charlie’s feelings and realizations in the story (he has A LOT of them) unconsciously become that of the reader’s/viewer’s, too. Which is to say, Stephen Chbosky, the author, is simply brilliant for establishing that!
There are so many quotable quotes from Perks, but just like everyone else, I was moved by this particular exchange between Charlie and his favorite teacher, Bill:
Charlie: Why do nice people choose the wrong people to date?
Bill: Well… we accept the love we think we deserve.
Charlie: Can we make them know they deserve more?
Bill: We can try.
The epic “We accept the love we think we deserve,” if we come to think of it, is really just a simple line. But upon hearing/reading it, it can reverberate loudly inside your heart. It’s a sad, thought-provoking statement that kind of fits this fateful day, our last day on earth (hypothetically speaking). There are so many tragic love stories that happen everyday, and it makes you wonder, how many people accept a dysfunctional type of love because they think that’s what they deserve? And how many of them eventually wake up from it and choose to pursue the type of love they truly deserve?
These are obviously hard questions that many would be afraid to answer. So let’s just focus on an easier question: Do we want to face our last day on earth filled with regrets?
My name is Joni - a digital marketer by day, entrepreneur by night. This is where you'll read about my life's highs, lows, and in-betweens all rolled into one little blog. 
