If Cats Disappeared from the World

-

This year I challenged myself to read 25 books, and I’ve just finished my 14th. If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura was a short, poignant read that I devoured in less than 24 hours.

It’s a story about loss, love, and the bargains we make with time. The narrator’s deal with the devil — trading away things from the world in exchange for more days to live — forces us to confront what truly matters. The simplicity of the prose carries a surprising emotional weight; each disappearance feels like a mirror reflecting our own attachments.

As a cat mom, the thought of a world without cats struck me deeply. The book isn’t really about cats alone, but about the irreplaceable threads, things, and even people that gives meaning into our lives. It left me asking myself: what would I be willing to give up, and what would I fight to keep?

If I were to die sooner than expected, I imagine the things I’d surrender for a 24‑hour extension of life. My choices might look like this:


  1. Cellphones, TV, tablets, and gaming gadgets — except for my laptop, because of my blog. I’m an opinionated person, and writing is my way of leaving a trace.
  2. Social media influencers and affiliates — whether local or international. The endless promotion of shallow consumerism is something the world can live without.
  3. Bullies and gossipers — those who twist stories and add layers of lies. I speak from the perspective of someone who has been bullied, and I know how destructive that can be.
  4. People who committed grievous crimes — their actions have already stolen too much from the world.
  5. Shopee, TikTok Shop, Lazada, Amazon, Temu — the endless cycle of buying and selling that feeds capitalism’s shallow hunger.

As I write this, I can almost imagine the devil grinning at how disillusioned I’ve become with influencers and capitalism. Kawamura’s story reminded me that life isn’t defined by what vanishes, but by what stays. The laughter I share with my loved ones, the memories that are worth keeping, and the small comforts of my cat curled beside me on a rainy morning — these are the things that make my— our days worth stretching, even if only for one more sunrise.


E.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Losing Ourselves in the Mirror: A Moral Dilemma On Plastic Surgery and Authenticity

-
Recently, I asked myself how should I ask this question without being offensive? How should I construct my thoughts about altering one's physical features, in other words,  plastic surgery. I've been seeing more and more famous personalities getting it done: people who can afford it, and those who simply want to enhance their beauty. I'm not against it, in fact, some of my favorite artists had their lips, eyes, nose, and most of their body done. However, one thing I can't unsee now is that they look the same. They all share similar features when viewed through the lens of social media. I couldn't shake the thought of, "Where did all the variety go?". I shrugged my thoughts back to where they belonged at first, back to the abyss. I was scared of voicing this thought because I know it will hurt a lot of people, and I don't want that. But I just can't keep it all in my journal anymore, so I asked Pat, my ever-patient man, "Mahal, what do you thi...
Read more

Nostalgia through my eyes

-
I always have this feeling of melancholy and magic whenever I watch movies from the 80s, 90s, and the early 2000s. I love how the people at the time were not hung up and addicted to their mobile phones like I am. I love how they don't have social media and mobile phones.  I think this roots in my childhood in Iligan. I grew up with my grandmothers. We lived a frugal life. We were happy and content. I remember reading books all day, and my Nanay would reprimand me all the time. She said I'll ruin my vision because of non-stop reading. And she's right, I did ruin my eyesight. I have astigmatism now, and I also ruined my reproductive health. After dinner, I would listen to the radio, waiting for the lottery results. My Mommy would wash us up and change our clothes for bed. I remember sleeping in our living room because it was comfortable than sleeping in our room. Life was forgiving at the time. It was simple and quiet.  I figured that old movies make the memory of my childhoo...
Read more

When Peace Finds Me

-
Image
To see beauty in everything is to live with open eyes and a grateful heart. From the sky that shifts its colors with each passing hour, to the quiet resilience of a flower blooming in the cracks of the pavement. Beauty isn’t always loud or grand, it often hides in the ordinary, waiting for us to notice. The sky teaches me patience. Its changing hues remind me that nothing stays the same forever, and that transitions— whether gentle or stormy— are part of life’s rhythm. The flower in the pavement reminds me of resilience, of how growth can happen even in the harshest conditions. And the crowded streets, with all their chaos and noise, remind me that there is harmony in diversity, a rhythm in the everyday rush. This was the view from my old place. After the heavy rain, there’s this calm that settles in. It feels like the world is exhaling, and I get to breathe with it. The gloomy sky takes me back to memories of times long gone, yet it also teaches me acceptance, to let go of what I cann...
Read more