Promises

“In the first place, you shouldn't believe in promises. The world is full of them: the promises of riches, of eternal salvation, of infinite love. Some people think they can promise anything, others accept whatever seems to guarantee better days ahead, as, I suspect is your case. Those who make promises they don't keep end up powerless and frustrated, and exactly the fate awaits those who believe promises.” 
― Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym


These words hit me right smack on my face and made me realize that perhaps, I'm such a hopeless juvenile for still believing in promises.

Lately, I have been eating broken promises -- from the most mundane to the important ones -- for breakfast. Promises, for me, are time bound. When you commit something, I ask you when and when you can't deliver on your committed date, you're just another name on my list of people who break their promises.

This is not to say I don't break promises. I do but the difference is, it really breaks my heart to have to break a promise even promises to myself. The least I can do is to be aware of the situation and apologize for it.

And it is the least I expect from people who promise a thing or two. But even that is too much to ask. People break their promises and they don't even realize it.

As I said, lately, there's just too many of them -- from unprofessional PR practitioners, family members, parents, fellow journalists, strangers, colleagues, companies, banks, insurance agents and hell yeah, even the laundry woman who promised (but failed) to put starch on my bed sheets.