Rey Abaya

A Life That Matters: Autobiographical Essays of a Filipino Activist Rey Abaya

Publisher Marketing: The book is a collection of essays designed by the author to present an autobiographical sketch of his development as a person. The conceptual underpinning of the book as project is that the rich, varied life experiences of the author, as seen through the prism of his philosophical reflections, present an interesting narrative that readers would find appealing because they are at once both personal and universal. The author starts by declaring that he is an activist, and he sees reality from that perspective. He goes on to trace what he considers his roots in terms of actual early life experiences and ideological journey, giving the reader an initial sense of who the author is. The first transition informs the reader about the author's relocation to Indonesia. This is followed by an individualized narrative about his family members that lets the reader peek into the author's operating concepts both as partner to his wife and parent to his children. This is followed by stories about persons that influenced his growth as a person, again giving the reader a sense of the author's core values. The second transition is about his relocation to the United States that entailed personal sacrifices from both the author and his wife. The next grouping of essays deals with the author's philosophical reflections on what he considers important life-altering topics. The book ends with two essays that deal with sickness and death and how coping with these has profoundly shaped his view of life.