The Alchemist, a little late

I am and have always been a detail-oriented person. I see grammatical errors and misspellings, misplaced books on library shelves, fallen strands of hair on sweaters. So when I first read Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, a few things bothered me.
First, the fact that it is a fable with an old-school, biblical feel. I don’t mean that the language was biblical; there were no thees, thous, or yeas. Some of the events, however seemed far-fetched, impossible, coincidental, and other-wordly, not the work of man at all. Things seemed to just drop out of the sky to further our hero Santiago’s goal, he seemed to be along for the ride. The explanation? The Universe was pushing Santiago toward his Personal Legend. For example, when Santiago began working for the owner of the faltering glass shop, business began to boom. The boy magically earned enough money to cross the desert. When Santiago looked into the eyes of the girl at the oasis, he fell in love immediately, without doubt or even conversation. When Santiago dreamed of an attack in the desert, his premonition turned out to be real. And, to top them all, when Santiago was challenged to turn himself into the wind, he did so.
What does this have to do with details? The fact that there were so few of them. The explanation for these events was the same: Santiago was fulfilling his Personal Legend, and the Universe was working with him to achieve this goal. It was his faith (like the bibical Jonah, David, and Noah) that allowed him to succeed.
What bothered me about this was that there was no step-by-step recipe telling me how exactly he did all these things. When I turn to the book for these answers, I read that Santiago had to learn to listen to his heart, that he had to come to a deeper understanding of his place in the Universe. But I still don’t l know how he did it.
I know this problem is mine. I have always wanted to know how things operate. I constantly ask “Why?” and “How?” But then I remember what a wise, wrinkled woman once told me: “When I enter a room and flip the light switch, the light turns on. I don’t need to know how it works. I just know that it does work.” She was illustrating her faith in the Universe. For me, detail-oriented person that I am, I struggle with not knowing the answers and have always had a hard time with faith. Santiago did not. He dove into his tasks with determination after being reminded of the treasure he was pursuing. While I admired his determination, I did not relate to it and craved something more. This frustrated me as I read.
Something important happened after I read this book that caused me to rethink the importance of those details: I lost my job. I, like Santiago, did not cause this to happen. I guess you could say the Universe stepped in to help me achieve my Personal Legend. You might also say it could have happened to anyone, and there was no Universe at work at all. It doesn’t matter. What matters is how I respond to this change. My father once told me, it doesn’t matter what college you go to; it’s what you do when you get there. And there is truth in that. What will I do next? Will I coddle my fear or will I see how I can use this change in my favor? What did the boy Santiago do? He, at each turn of his road, dove in and embraced change. He remembered his Personal Legend, and he continued his quest for treasure. The Universe may have just handed me a gift. Maybe this time, I can learn to lay aside my need for the details and trust that the switch will keep sending the light my way.

“...You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world...”
~The Desiderata