We stepped into the church and it was old and a bit dark. Mass had just begun and we sat toward the front. We didn't know what to expect here in Istanbul , Turkey . I guess we expected it to be a sombre Mass but quiet and sombre it was not - I thought I heard angels joyously singing behind me.
The voices were rich, melodic and beautiful. What I discovered as I spun around to look did not surprise me because I had seen and heard the same thing in other churches around the world. It was not a choir of angels with feathered wings and halos but a group of delightful Filipino Catholics with smiles of delight and joy on their faces as they worshiped God and sang His praises. I had seen this many times before in Rome , in Israel ,in the United States and other countries.
Filipinos have special traits and they are beautifully expressed as I gazed at the happy throng giving thanks to God. What are the special traits which characterize these happy people? I will share a few that I have noticed- personal observations- as I have travelled around the world, including visits to the Philippines
FIRST, there is a sense of community, of family. These Filipino Christians did not sit apart from each other in different isles. They sat together, closely. They didn't just sing quietly, mumbling, or simply mouthing the words. No, they raised their voices in harmony together as though they enjoyed the sense of unity and communion among them. They are family even if they are not related.
SECOND, they have an inner peace and joy which is rare in the world today. When most of the world's citizens are worried and fretful, I have found Filipinos to have joy and peace - a deep sense of God's love that over shadows them. They have problems too, and many in the Philippines have less material goods than others in the world, yet there is still a sense of happy trust in God and love of neighbour.
THIRD, there is a love for God and for his Son Jesus that is almost synonymous with the word Filipino. There is also something that Filipinos are famous for around the world - their love for the Blessed Mother. Among the many Filipinos I have met, the affectionate title for Mary I always hear from their lips is "Mama Mary." For these gentle folks Mary is not just a theological idea, a historical person, or a statue in a church - Mary is the mother of their Lord and their mother as well, their "mama."
The Philippines is a Catholic nation-the only such nation in Asia -and this wonderful country exports missionaries around the world. They are not hired to be missionaries, not official workers of the church. No, they are workers and educators, doctors, nurses and housekeepers that go to other lands and travel to the far reaches of the earth, and everywhere they go they take the joyous gospel of Jesus with them. They make a sombre Mass joyful when they burst into song. They convict the pagan of sin as they always keep the love of Jesus and the Eucharist central in their lives.
My hope and prayer, while I am here in the Philippines sharing my conversion story from Baptist Protestant to Roman Catholic, is that the Filipino people will continue to keep these precious qualities. I pray that they will continue loving their families, loving the Catholic Church, reading the Bible, loving Jesus, His Mother and the Eucharist.
As many other religions and sects try to persuade them to leave the Church, may God give the wisdom to defend the Catholic faith. As the world tempts them to sin and seek only money and fame and power, may God grant them the serenity to always remember that obedience to Christ and love for God is far more important than all the riches the world can offer.
May the wonderful Filipino people continue to be a light of the Gospel to the whole world!
Be a proud Filipino and forward this to friends!
For a moment I wished we were not existent to the world.
That way, we could have savored every moment in the space we moved in.
That way, we could have walked together in a different dimension...
-- a dimension where we belong,
-- a dimension where we deserve to exist,
-- a dimension only known to us...
Since marami naghahanap nito, eto ang info sa LBC Padala.
Ang mga tulang aking ihahandog sa inyo ay hango sa isang magasin nuong early 1900's. Nakuha ko ito habang ako ay nagsisiyasat ukol sa Early Philippine Cinema. Nakaligtaan kong maglagay ng palatandaan kung anong magasin ito kaya't gusto kong humihingi ng paumanhin sa inyo, aking mga mahal na mambabasa. Kahit wala itong kinalaman sa Philippine Cinema, ay nakuha nito ang aking atensyon. Mahuhulaan niyo kaya kung bakit? Bweno, simulan na natin ang pagbabasa ng mga tula.
Ang unang tula ay para sa mga binatang in love. Para rin ito sa mga binatang may stalking tendencies (see second stanza).
"Mutya"
Tula ni Luis Talastas
Kay Puring
Ganyan ang dalagang mutya ng tahanan,
Mabangong bulaklak, gandang paraluman;
Mahinhing katulad ng hanging amihan,
Ganyan nga si Puring, mutya ng Silangan.
Sa kanilang bahay, kung ikaw'y pumanhik,
Magandang araw mo'y ngiti ang kapalit;
Sa tindig, sa kilos, hahanga kang pilit,
Kay Puring, ang birheng batbat ng pag-ibig.
Kung mamasdan yaong matang mapupungay,
Bakal mo mang puso'y pilit matutunaw;
Tulog mo mang diwa'y pilit mapupukaw,
Sa dilag ni Puring, perlas ang kabagay.
Ang pangalawang tula naman ay para sa mga binatang bigo sa kabila ng lahat lahat ng ginawang
paraan upang mapa-impress ang kanilang sinisinta. Para rin ito sa mga yaong may suicidal
tendencies (see last stanza).
"Samo"
Tula ni Ricardo A. Marcelo
Kay Potring
Kung malasin ng mata ko ang langit na nagdidilim,
At ako ay nagiisang nagbabata ng damdamin;
Mga matang lumuluha ay sa langit nakatingin,
At ang laging dinarasal ikaw sana'y naging akin.
Di mo lamang nababatid bawa't oras, bawa't saglit,
Sa pagtulog ikaw lamang ang lagi kong panaginip;
At ano pa kayang saksi ang iyo pang ninanais,
Sa puso kong nagtatapat nang dalisay na pag ibig!
Wala ka ring tagong habag sa puso kong lumuluha,
Ang dibdib ko ay luray na sa pihati't mga dusa;
Awa molang at paglingap ang tangi kong ninanasa,
Na magiging kalasag ko sa pagharap kay bathala.
Kung sakaling akong ito'y masawi na sa pagibig,
Dalawin mo lang sandali ang bangkay kong matahimik;
Aty kahit na isang sulyap tapunan ng iyong titig,
Ang bangkay kong malaon ding nagtiis ng dusa't sakit.
Ang huling tula ay isang puzzle pra sa akin. Dahil hindi ako makapag-desisyon kung ano ang
kategorya nito, sabihin na lang nating ito ay para sa mga binatang secret agent, para sa mga
binatang mahilig sa "bawal na pag-ibig", at para sa mga binatang in love sa binatang nagdadalaga.
Ang unang tula ay para sa mga binatang in love. Para rin ito sa mga binatang may stalking tendencies (see second stanza).
"Mutya"Tula ni Luis Talastas
Kay Puring
Ganyan ang dalagang mutya ng tahanan,
Mabangong bulaklak, gandang paraluman;
Mahinhing katulad ng hanging amihan,
Ganyan nga si Puring, mutya ng Silangan.
Sa kanilang bahay, kung ikaw'y pumanhik,
Magandang araw mo'y ngiti ang kapalit;
Sa tindig, sa kilos, hahanga kang pilit,
Kay Puring, ang birheng batbat ng pag-ibig.
Kung mamasdan yaong matang mapupungay,
Bakal mo mang puso'y pilit matutunaw;
Tulog mo mang diwa'y pilit mapupukaw,
Sa dilag ni Puring, perlas ang kabagay.
Ang pangalawang tula naman ay para sa mga binatang bigo sa kabila ng lahat lahat ng ginawang
paraan upang mapa-impress ang kanilang sinisinta. Para rin ito sa mga yaong may suicidal
tendencies (see last stanza).
"Samo"
Tula ni Ricardo A. Marcelo
Kay Potring
Kung malasin ng mata ko ang langit na nagdidilim,
At ako ay nagiisang nagbabata ng damdamin;
Mga matang lumuluha ay sa langit nakatingin,
At ang laging dinarasal ikaw sana'y naging akin.
Di mo lamang nababatid bawa't oras, bawa't saglit,
Sa pagtulog ikaw lamang ang lagi kong panaginip;
At ano pa kayang saksi ang iyo pang ninanais,
Sa puso kong nagtatapat nang dalisay na pag ibig!
Wala ka ring tagong habag sa puso kong lumuluha,
Ang dibdib ko ay luray na sa pihati't mga dusa;
Awa molang at paglingap ang tangi kong ninanasa,
Na magiging kalasag ko sa pagharap kay bathala.
Kung sakaling akong ito'y masawi na sa pagibig,
Dalawin mo lang sandali ang bangkay kong matahimik;
Aty kahit na isang sulyap tapunan ng iyong titig,
Ang bangkay kong malaon ding nagtiis ng dusa't sakit.
Ang huling tula ay isang puzzle pra sa akin. Dahil hindi ako makapag-desisyon kung ano ang
kategorya nito, sabihin na lang nating ito ay para sa mga binatang secret agent, para sa mga
binatang mahilig sa "bawal na pag-ibig", at para sa mga binatang in love sa binatang nagdadalaga.
Hayaan ninyong mapukaw ang inyong mga damdamin ng tula ni Anastacio para kay Berto.
"Ang Pag-ibig"
Tula ni Anastacio T. Angeles
Kay Berto
Ang pag-ibig...
KAPAG nukal na sa puso ang pag-ibig na dakila
Ang mabihg nitong kawal, may tapang ma'y humihina;
Maligalig ang isipan, malimit na matunganga
Laging kimi sa dalagang kinakasi't tinata_n...
Nalulungkot...
Natatakot!...
BINUBUKSAN na ng mutya sa panakaw sa pagtitig
Ang landas na daraanan ng binatang umiibig.
Nguni't ito palibhasa'y may pangambang umuusig
At kung kaya't sa binuksan ng diwata'y lumilihis.
Talinghaga...
Malikmata!...
LAGING laman ng gunita ang dilag na sinusuyo
Subali't pag mapaharap sa dalaga'y nadudungo;
Hinahamon na ng mutya sa sulyap na maaamo
Ang binatang mayrong lihim napipipi namang lalo.
Pumipipi...
Ang pagkasi!...
DAHILAN SA natatakot masiphayo sa mithiin
Kung kaya't ang sumisinta may dusa ma'y naglilihim;
Ang binatang datidati'y kasingsigla niyang lawin
Ay nagiging sakdal hina pag nabihg ng paggiliw.
Ang marapat...
Ipagtapat!...
TANGING lunas na marapat sa pagsintang lumuluha
Lakas loob na sabihin sa dalaga ang pithaya;
Sa pag-ibig ang damdaminglaging duwag ay kawawa,
Samantalang ang may tapang nagkakamit ng biyaya.
Kung kaya nga...
Oh, Binata!...
SUBUKAN mong manandata ng dahilang katapangan
At pag di ka maging "pulot" sa maraming Paraluman;
Ang dalaga'y mayamutin sa duwag na kalooban,
At mailap sa binatang dungungdungo sa sintaban.
Iyan lamang...!
"Ang Pag-ibig"Tula ni Anastacio T. Angeles
Kay Berto
Ang pag-ibig...
KAPAG nukal na sa puso ang pag-ibig na dakila
Ang mabihg nitong kawal, may tapang ma'y humihina;
Maligalig ang isipan, malimit na matunganga
Laging kimi sa dalagang kinakasi't tinata_n...
Nalulungkot...
Natatakot!...
BINUBUKSAN na ng mutya sa panakaw sa pagtitig
Ang landas na daraanan ng binatang umiibig.
Nguni't ito palibhasa'y may pangambang umuusig
At kung kaya't sa binuksan ng diwata'y lumilihis.
Talinghaga...
Malikmata!...
LAGING laman ng gunita ang dilag na sinusuyo
Subali't pag mapaharap sa dalaga'y nadudungo;
Hinahamon na ng mutya sa sulyap na maaamo
Ang binatang mayrong lihim napipipi namang lalo.
Pumipipi...
Ang pagkasi!...
DAHILAN SA natatakot masiphayo sa mithiin
Kung kaya't ang sumisinta may dusa ma'y naglilihim;
Ang binatang datidati'y kasingsigla niyang lawin
Ay nagiging sakdal hina pag nabihg ng paggiliw.
Ang marapat...
Ipagtapat!...
TANGING lunas na marapat sa pagsintang lumuluha
Lakas loob na sabihin sa dalaga ang pithaya;
Sa pag-ibig ang damdaminglaging duwag ay kawawa,
Samantalang ang may tapang nagkakamit ng biyaya.
Kung kaya nga...
Oh, Binata!...
SUBUKAN mong manandata ng dahilang katapangan
At pag di ka maging "pulot" sa maraming Paraluman;
Ang dalaga'y mayamutin sa duwag na kalooban,
At mailap sa binatang dungungdungo sa sintaban.
Iyan lamang...!
Now I know why we all feel rejected.
"Sa buhay, ang bawat tao ay makakaisip ng paraan upang sila ay makapagpatuloy na sa kanilang paglalakad at upang makarating na sila sa kanilang paroroonan (Wala Lang, 1st edition)."
Banoffee said (December 15, 2007)...
Medyo naniniwala ako sa pangungusap na ito... at medyo rin hindi. "Hindi" dahil marami akong kilala na hindi talaga alam kung paano magpapatuloy sa kanilang "paglalakad" at hindi rin alam kung saan sila patutungo. Naniniwala naman dahil sa dinami-dami ng mga karanasan ko na sa aking palagay ay may bahid ng pagiging PSR, eh nakakapagpatuloy naman ako at hindi nasa-"stuck".
Ito naman ang masasabi ko...
Akala lang natin na ang ilang mga tao sa ating buhay ay "stuck" na sa kanilang kinatatayuan... Pero kung susuriin natin ang sinabi ni Einstein sa kanyang teoriya ng "relativity" maiintindihan natin ang ibig kong sabihin nang sinabi kong "sa buhay, ang bawat tao ay makakaisip ng paraan upang sila ay makapagpatuloy na sa kanilang paglalakad at upang makarating na sila sa kanilang paroroonan." Isipin mong ikaw ay nasa barko at kasama mo ang iyong kaibigan. Habang ikaw ay paikot-ikot at nag-e-explore ng mga silid sa barko, nakatayo lamang at nagmamasid ang iyong kaibigan sa isang sulok. Para sa iyo hindi gumagalaw ang iyong kaibigan, pero para sa isang tindero ng taho na naglalako sa pier, siya ay mabilis na tumatakbo pa-norte.
Perspective.
May iba iba tayong perspective.
Hindi natin matutukoy ang pag-unlad ng ibang tao base lamang sa ating perspective tulad ng hindi natin kailanman makikita ang galaw ng mga atoms sa iba't ibang bagay gamit ang ating naked eye.
Dagdag pa rito, naniniwala ako na tulad ng ating external environment na patuloy na nagbabago at kumikilos, ang ating internal self ay patuloy ring nagbabago at kumikilos. Ang patuloy na pagkilos na ito ang nagdadala sa bawat isa sa atin para tumahak ng isa o higit pang mga hakbang mula sa ating dating kinatatayuan.
Ang buhay ay dynamic. At kung ito ay dynamic, mayroong pagsulong... maaaring sa iba't ibang degree o level, pero ang pagsulong ay inevitable.
for the brokenhearted
**
**
**
"Sa langit, pag di nakita ang araw, okey lang.
Sa pagkain, pag walang ulam, okey lang.
Pero pag sa cell ko, wala ang text mo, di na okey yan.
Wala namang ganyanan!"
**
**
**
Malapit na ang panahon ng mga puso.
Naku, "love is in the air" na nga ba?
Sigurado akong marami nanamang exchange
ng love messages sa text.
Bago magsimulang gumana ang pana ni Cupido
(at lumaki ang kita ng mga Mobile Phone Networks),
hayaan niyo muna akong mag-share sa inyo ng mga
love text quotes for the brokenhearted.
Ang mga quotes ay natanggap ko sa e-mail
at hango ang mga ito sa librong
"The Best of Feel Good Quotes"
(compiled and printed by PsiCom Publishing Inc.).
As usual, may mga nakalagay na personal comments
pagkatapos ng bawat quote.
O sige, simulan na natin.
Goodluck sa mga brokenhearted!
**
**
**
"I only wonder sometimes why there comes a point
when I run out of breath…
And then I'd have to inhale for more air …
Maybe because it's an instinct to live …
When I knew I still have u"
---
AKO: When you run out of breath, there will be an increased amount of carbon dioxide in the body. As a result, the brain will transmit signals to the intercostal muscles and cause them to contract to facilitate breathing. Whether or not you 'have' the person you love, this physiological mechanism will definitely take place.
----------------------------------------------------
"We sometimes think that we need to let go
of someone we love so much to prove our love.
Sadly, they sometimes think that
we don't love them coz we let them go."
---
AKO: Kaya importante ang trust at communication sa isang relationship. One thing/action can mean a lot of things.
------------------------------------------------------
"Sad: Since the day you said goodbye, I've been counting the days when hopefully you'll be back in my arms again. But something scares me, coz I might be counting for the rest of my life."
---
AKO: Sa mga gustong mag-let go pag-isipan ng mabuti nang hindi magsisi sa huli. Sa mga iniwan, mag-aral ng mabuti sa math para tama ang pagbilang.
-------------------------------------------------
"Perhaps the saddest but most lovable thing that could happen to you
Is when you are talking to your ex-bf a day before his wedding and he tells you, This could have been us..."
:(
---
AKO: Buti sana
-------------------------------------------------
"Remember when you asked me who I liked and I said no one?
What I really meant was no one but you!"
---
AKO: Eh kaya naman pala hindi sila nagkatuluyan nung ex-bf niya (see above quote) dahil hindi siya nakapagtapat kaagad. O yan, nakahanap tuloy ng iba.
--------------------------------------------------
"Why does love hurt?
Why does it ache?
Maybe because we love too much,
Too hard and too deep
That sometimes we forget
To keep a little for ourselves."
---
AKO: I think one cannot love too much... only too little.
If we mistakenly think that loving is like when we withdraw money from our bank accounts [and an amount is debited from that account], we become selfish and we become scared to love. The fact is that, when we love, we gain. We should all be excited to love and share so we will heal.
-------------------------------------------------------
"You can hide the pain that u feel and make others believe that you can move on. But u can never deny d truth to yourself that d person who has failed and hurt you is still the person you'll always choose to love."
---
AKO: Sino ang mga martyr sa pag-ibig? Itaas ang kamay.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Saying I love you is a major decision in one's life. Those words should be kept in your heart until you are ready to commit, to fight for that feeling and to stand by those words forever."
---
CORRECTION: Saying "will you marry me" is a major decision. Saying "I love you" is not. You just love. That's it.
---------------------------------------------------------
"Slowly I'm falling deeper into you but I still try to keep things where they should be. So when the time comes that you feel that I don't love you anymore, just try to remember that all my love for you grows inside me where no one, not even you, could see!"
---
GOVERNMENT WARNING: THIS IS DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH. Baka sumabog ang puso!
--------------------------------------------------------
"Why must I climb 100 mountains to get to u
But all u have to do is smile to get to me?"
---
AKO: Aww...sweet.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Bakit kung kailan natuto akong maghintay hindi ka dumating?
Bakit kung kailan natuto akong magtiis, dun ka sumuko?
Bakit kung kailan natutunan kitang mahalin doon ka lumayo?
Bakit kung kailan mahal na kita saka ka nagmahal ng iba?"
---
AKO: Napagod na kasi sya sa pag-akyat ng 100 bundok.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Some joys are better expressed in silence, as a smile gets more audible than laughter. I was once asked if I enjoy texting with you. My reply was just a smile."
---
AKO: Inner joys are usually expressed with a smile... and a smile can be more audible than laughter if sincerity of heart is present. There are many ways to express one's joy and no way is better than the other. It's just that when one is really, deeply, sincerely happy -- he/she tends to be at peace, hence he/she becomes silent. It's a natural mechanism.
----------------------------------------------
"There are friends whom you see everyday,
Talk to and laugh with, yet the friendship just ends there.
But there are those whom you rarely see, yet the friendship lives forever."
---
AKO: Well if there are friends whom you see everyday and yet the friendship seems shallow... aren't you supposed to say to yourself, they aren't your friends at all?
---------------------------------------------
"Nang nalulungkot ka, nag-joke ako, tawa ka, tawa ako.
May problema ka, joke ulit ako. Tawa ka, tawa ako.
Nagalit ka, joke pa rin ako. Tawa ka.
Sinabi ko mahal kita. Kala mo joke, tumawa ka.
Napaiyak mo ako..."
---
AKO: May theme song ka dapat, kung sino ka man... "I started a joke, started the whole world laughing... but I didn't see, that the joke was on me..."
--------------------------------------------
"They say that when love knocks on your door, open it.
But do you know that sometimes love enters through the back door?
And before u begin to notice it, it's on its way out ..."
---
MORAL LESSON: Mag-install ng motion sensitive alarm sa front at back doors para hindi na muling makatakas ang pag-ibig.
--------------------------------------------
"While walking down the street, I heard an old lady say, I've been in love with the same man 4 almost 50 years … I was touched. But then she whispered, I wish he knew."
---
AKO: Baka maudyok ang karamihan ng makakabasa nito na magtapat na sa kanyang sinisinta ngayong buwan ng Pebrero. Aba
[Slow background music begins: Tra la la]
Hayayay, pag-ibig.
Heto ang "Pinoy Text Jokes". Mula ito sa aking inbox. Mga natanggap mula sa kaibigan. Hindi ako ang nagsulat ng mga ito pero ilalagay ko dito para i-share sa inyo. Sana mag-enjoy kayo sa pagbabasa. Will post more later.
**************
CLASS: Mam and baho po dito, may umutot!
MAM: Ok class, sino man and umutot bibigyan ko ng 95 na grade.
PEDRO: Mam ako po! i-100 nyo na mam kc napatae na din po ako!
**************
Si Juan nakabasag ng vase sa museum, attendant nataranta!
Attendant: Naku!!! Yang vase sir more than 500 years old na yan!
Juan: Hay salamat, kala ko bago!
**************
Juanito: Ang gulo ng bahay talaga!
Paeng: May mas gugulo pa ba sa bahay nmin? Tingnan mo, ung pinakasalan kong biyudang may dalagitang anak, pinakasalan naman ni itay ung dalagita. E di lumabas na nanay ko siya ngaun at si itay anak ko. Ang asawa ko naman ay biyenan ni itay. Nang mgkaanak cla, ako ngaun ang lolo ng kapatid ko! Ang gulo di ba?
**************
Sori ngaun lng ako nakatxt sau kc d2 ako ngaun sa OSPITAL according to my doc di na dw ako gagaling. Habang buhay na raw akong
"MAGANDA"
Buti na lng dw
Di nakakahawa!
**************
Effort is only effort when it begins to hurt...
But I remember, my yaya told me once, effort is where you can find –
Erflanes…?! Watda…
*************
Teacher: Sino ang pumatay kay Magellan? Dalawang 'L' ang initials niya.
Juan: Lito Lapid?
Teacher: Inuulit ang pangalan nya iho!
Juan: Lito Lito?
Teacher: Kulot xa!
Juan: si Lotlot?
Teacher: Madami sila!
Juan: Lotlot and friends!
***************
SA BAKERY
Pulubi: Ale, palimos po ng cake.
Ale: Aba! Ambisyoso ka! Cake pa hinihingi mo, o ayan pandesal nlng.
Pulubi: Hallerrr!!!
Birthday ko kaya...
***************
"Walang malayong kulangot sa mahabang kuko"
Npakagandang quote.
It signifies determination, creativity and hope.
***************
Anak: Mommy, ano po yung 10 commandments?
Mommy: Yun ang 10 utos ng Diyos, anak.
Anak: Mas mataas po pla kayo sa Diyos, mommy.
Mommy: Ha? Bakit?
Anak: E kc, mas marami po kayong mga utos.
***************
Anak: Nay, uminom po ako ng BAYGON!
Inay: Bkit mgsu-suicide k b?
Anak: Di po! Nkalunok kc ako ng buhay na ipis
Inay: Tanga! Inom ka ng inom ng gamot, d ka pa nag-lunch.
Cannot decide where to eat lunch? Better try this place.
Note: I came across this ad on Philippine Intercollegiate Press dated June 1933.
Look closely.
Hint: Tingnan ang dalawang orasan.
This is an interesting moment. I didn’t know that there exist different time zones between two sides of the metro train station. May snow kaya sa kabila? (Do you think it's snowing on the other side?)
Take Laughter Seriously. In one book that I read, it says: "the older we become, the more serious we become about life. An adult laughs an average of 15 times a day; a preschooler laughs an average of 400 times." Imagine that! This year, let us laugh more often. Wala Lang.
***
Sarcasm. I was eating lunch at a Japanese restaurant with a friend of mine one day. We talked about the meal, how I should not place chopsticks on a rice bowl the way I did, how I felt sick after eating my first sushi the other day, and eventually about sarcasm.
"Do you know that sarcasm is the lowest form of humor?" he told me.
I replied, "I thought it was the highest."
Wala Lang.
***
Why it's Sometimes Good to Have a Bad Memory. I have a very good short term memory and a very bad long term memory. I can remember a long list of Republic Acts when cramming for an exam I forgot about. I often forget birthdates (yes, there came a time when I even forgot mine) and I have a tendency to forget what year it is. Imagine me signing a form and wrote that it was the year 1996 when in fact it was the year 2007 (the second time during the same year though, I have improved a bit since I mistakenly thought it was the year 2005).
I did wish to have a good memory. Besides praying religiously for my wish to come true, I also took vitamins, avoided sleeping late, and began exercising. But then I realized that having a bad memory is not really that bad at all. According to Rita Mae Brown, "the key to happiness is a bad memory". We are just not aware of it, but there are things that our system does to enable us to survive. Just imagine if we remembered every detail of our traumatic experiences... how we made our way out of our mother's womb or how painful our first vaccine was or what other kids did to bully you in class or what an envious co-worker said to destroy your credentials or the way your dad punched your mom in the face or the day when the person you love kissed somebody else.
I may forget a lot of things -- but as long as I remember the meaning and depth of my life experiences, I think I'll be just fine. Ain't that right?
Wala Lang.
***
Finding Gold in Trash. I am sure that most of us have keepsakes reserved in our spirits, if not in our old carton boxes. These are the souvenirs that we take a look at once in a while before taking another step forward in life.
The most sentimental member of my family is me. My mom and sisters would keep perfume bottles and watches while I keep McDonald's French fries cartons, short notes or letters from friends, receipts and tickets, Belgian chocolate wrappers, old high school projects -- all of which are basically considered "trash" (meaning: discarded material) by a normal human being. It may be hard to understand but the "junk" which I have been keeping are, for me, the simple treasures of my life. In each piece are memories where I find joy. In each piece are victorious moments... tasks accomplished... places reached... dreams fulfilled.
It is not important for others to understand why these things become my source of strength as we all have our own secret language that only the "self" would understand. It is interesting how there are the things that would mean something to one person but would mean nothing to another. It feels incredible to carry on with a few keepsakes in our hearts. It is amazing how we could find gold in "trash". Wala Lang.
***
My Most Embarrassing Moment. I thought that my most embarrassing moment was when I once said that Steven Spielberg was the director of Star Wars but I was wrong. It was when I kept a crowd waiting for 15 minutes for the simple reason of miscalculating my travel time. I don't remember being late for most of the most important meetings of my life. Because of my "military" upbringing, I usually arrive earlier than expected. But then there I was at the chapel, the priest waiting... the kids waiting... the audience... the choir... my best friend... Nope, I wasn't late for my own wedding -- I was actually late for a choral singing competition of which I am one of the judges.
How many times have we disappointed other people and told ourselves, "if only I could turn back time..."?
No matter how hard we try, everything in our lives won't go perfectly well. There are elements present in our lives that we cannot control. In my case, I had no other choice but to admit I have made a mistake, remove my feeling of guilt, and do what I was tasked to do. The participants were splendid, the priest kept smiling, my best friend (the organizer of the event) offered me a meal, and the audience (including me) had a really good time. Life does go on after each embarrassing moment. Thank God for that.
Wala Lang.
When I was on an airplane bound for Manila I saw this sign on the right wing. Yes, I think it is a good idea not to walk outside the specified area especially if the plane is flying. This is a very useful sign for airline passengers.
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