I Invoke Thee....

I have said this before, and I’m gonna say it again, I have the ability to evoke emotions given a certain situation, and when a simple truth is slapped into their faces, the reactions are intriguing. Why does it have to be me, all the time? Is it because of my being forthcoming? Or maybe everyone is having a bad day, and the timing is off? Or maybe we have suffered a lot in our personal lives and we have had enough of it already?

For sure there is suffering everywhere. This has been so since time immemorial. But don’t put a blame on me. Like what has been said, we are who we are, and we become the person that we are partly because of what we have done in the past. The key here is acceptance, we must accept and embrace life and all its letdowns, because the moment we accept it, then we liberate ourselves from anything. It may take a while to accept it, but in the end, when we accommodate it as part of our existence, we can live with it better until it doesn’t feel like it anymore.

What makes it interesting is that we are definitely humans who not only have limits but imperfections as well. Being the person that I am and who I am is something that I got used to. True to say that my friends should get to used to as well, and they must know me by now. The mere fact that we are here for almost a decade, as friends. As much as we wish to deny it, on this level, we just can’t, we have shared so many ups and so many downs that a simple setback couldn’t come between the friendship that has developed with time, no dividing or separating, no rejecting but accepting of our imperfections.

It maybe easy to say I’m sorry, but if the sorry uttered is sweet and true, and if “sorry” will be the only word to ease the pain then we say it, we say it with all our might knowing that the person who heard it appeased. But, let’s make it sure that this doesn’t have to be a recurring excuse…I mean, say sorry all the time. We just have to be careful not to discuss any sensitive issues anymore – not even in a whisper.

I am 32 years old, and everything that I have been thru is a part of my human experience.

I contemplate.

To end, I’d like to leave you with this. The people whom you will come to love in your life will disappoint you; sometimes they will break your heart. But I can assure you that one day you’ll find yourself falling in love again.

Footprints of the past...

“I can show you the world, shining shimmering splendid.
Tell me princess now when did u last let your heart desires”

These were the lines of a popular song a few years back. Wasn’t it a very nice song, so inspirational and moving? The song reminds me of the old good days of my hometown, enveloped by an overwhelming peace and serenity. At that point it was even tagged, “the hidden paradise of Mindanao”.

Let me introduce you to my hometown called SIOCON. And I would call myself a Sioconian.

All I thought that Siocon the place we Sioconians fondly called a “paradise” will forever be that paradise. The pictures show and speak for itself (I'll post pix of the aftermath soon). Siocon has been stained with intrigues and controversies. It even headline and once top at the ABS-CBN’s news stories.

You might wanna ask. How did it happen? Let me tell you how it happened.

It was eve of May 2, 2002, probably everyone in Siocon were all excited for the Fiesta. Siocon celebrates fiesta in honor of a religious holiday every first Sunday of the month of May. Fiesta is celebrated practically everywhere and every day of the year in the Philippines. Merry making and all, people are busy shopping, as always been the custom. Every household at least prepares something to share with during this occasion.

Young and old had been busy doing their thing like attend mass; attend parties with friends, etc. And so, as the celebration goes on and the socializing begins, everyone seemed happy making sure that fun never sets. Then suddenly, one unexpected moment happen. The sound was like a roaring thunder coming from the sky. To their surprise, it was gunshots, gunshots came out of nowhere. Gunshots that made everyone shocked, not knowing what would happen next! Everyone panicked, not knowing what to do, they were all in shocked! Mixed emotions! For all they know, Siocon was attacked by militants in cold blood.

This was just one of the scenarios that very day; scenarios that will forever linger in the hearts and minds of every Sioconians.

Never in the history of Siocon and its entirety had this thing happen; never in my many years of stay in Siocon.

Gone are the days when the people of Siocon feel safe and secured. Gone are the days when the people of Siocon feel excited, comfortable and relax every time the fiesta is coming. Gone are the happy days celebrating and sharing all the blessings the people had received the whole year round. Those days where changed with fear and apprehensions ,thinking that the militants might once again attack and many lives would be put in danger.

The incident happened. People accepted the fact that what happen was meant to be. But as they say, in every storm there will always be sunshine along the way. It may have been a blessing in disguise that incident because the President of the Philippines, GMA herself came to visit for the first time. It has been a historic turnaround for Siocon. Why? It is because cellphone signal has been activated. Communication is easy now for the Siocon populace. Internet can now be used and a lot more opportunities had been opened. Her visit turned out to be emotional and triumphant so to speak.

No matter what happens, my heart always goes out to Siocon, a place where I belong, the place where I have learned my first ABC’s and all the firsts in my life.

When the time comes that I would decide to go back to Siocon? I would be excited and glad. I would be happy seeing all the great things that had happened during those years when I was away; my family first and foremost; as well as my friends.

So as the saying goes, “Let bygones be bygones”. No matter what situation we may encounter, whether we falter or succeed, we always tend to rise up with high hopes and without doubt be able to face our demon. Always ready and prepared in every battle we would be facing along the way.

Siocon now has moved on, taking all the lessons earnestly hope they learned and leaving behind all the bad memories that will forever be a history.

These pictures show the new Siocon, ready to face any battle, stronger than ever. Ready to forget, accept and let the footprints of the past be blown by the winds of time.

Now, I can say once again that I can show you my world, shining, shimmering and splendid.

Michael Angelo's Bday Bash....