Missing in blog-action

For months, I could not sit down and make my regular blog entries. I have been terribly busy but in a good way. I was working on satisfying my entrepreneurial spirit. Long story short, we put up a new business. So far all good.

Anyway, I hope to find time to unload my thoughts here. I miss opening up behind the mask of Prodigal Son 35. It helps me become a better person; I get to see my stories in detail and process them with a more logical mind.

Until my next story...

Whitney Houston is back with dignity

It is good to have Whitney Houston back onstage, doing what she does best. I was not at London's O2; Yahoo! brought her concert to my screen. The bit of rust was evident, but let us not be too hard on her. We cannot expect her performance to be perfect after a long hiatus. She will get her rhythm back.

Anyway, Yahoo! highlighted a scene wherein Whitney brought a young girl onstage to sing, "The Greatest Love of All." It was quite moving to hear the girl belt out the line, "No matter what they take from me, they can't take away my dignity." I thought there was truth to the line, especially for kids who are young and pure.

Dignity is what a lot of us have lost. We allowed people and circumstances to take away our dignity, either directly or indirectly. I am not the kid who sang with Whitney; I am neither young nor pure. I may have fizzled along the way, but I am trying my best to pick up where I left off.

Looking around, I see people who once had it. Dignity that went on sale, usually to the highest bidder. Anyway, their dignity is not my problem; I have mine to tend.

Better Smart

I am so furious about our internet service provider. For the longest time, our connection has been consistently intermittent and reliably slow. Too bad, we cannot terminate their services because of our contract with them. I know, we should not be staying with them. We should have been smart! We will be, when our lock-in period ends.

Anyway, I practically blew my top because I needed a good connection for a webinar (followed by an online exam) that I had to attend. My unfortunate situation forced me to swing by the nearest internet cafe. Again, some hard-luck: I was able to get the webinar going, but the audio was missing.

Totally pissed off, I decided to proceed with the exam, knowing nothing about the webinar.

Fortunately, my good fortune came rolling in. My bag of knowledge helped me pull through. Two mistakes . . . pretty decent for someone who had no chance of studying. Shortly, I was printing my e-certificate and text-bragging to my wife. She thought I was scary, like my Dad 1.

Open letter to Dad 1

Dear Dad 1,

I hope all is good there in Europe, but I am sure that all would be better if tita were around.

Yesterday, we had a send-off lunch with tita in the country club. It was a sumptuous treat.

It is always nice to exchange thoughts and laugh with her. However, under the shimmer, it was quite obvious that tita's smile could still shine brighter. Yes, the big smile was there but short of perfect. You are the missing piece.

Your relationship, I understand, is none of my business, and I may be crossing the line.

Anyway, I do not think that tita has the personality to impose her will, but I could read that she is yearning for quality retirement years together. You have worked hard all these years to build your reputation in the field of business and your nest egg; now is the time to intensify further your oneness with tita.

Pardon my unsolicited opinion.

Your family home is waiting for you.

Love,
Prodigal Son 35

Busy is good

I have been so busy lately; to be honest, in some ways, I hate it. I miss the days when I would come home during the day, either for a power nap or a lazy man's sleep in. I guess I have no choice but to hack it. When you ask to be blessed a bit, you have to be there to catch it when it pours. I should not be complaining; it is utterly stupid to do so.

Today, I will be going on a trip. Again, it has something to do with work. I will be taking the last flight out and, I think, the first flight in when I come back. No leisure time at all. I have to cram everything in a few days. Also, no suitcase this time except for my small backpack.

Before I go, let me share a short prayer: Father, thank You for keeping me busy. With Your mercy, I am able to provide means for my family, and it helps me stay glued to my wife. Pardon me if I whine at times; it is so selfish of me. I missed church today; I was negligent. Sorry, Father. Please keep my family safe and give my wife peace of mind. May she get enlightenment: I am traveling alone. In the name of Christ, Amen.

Have you earned it?

I came across an ad the other day that said, "Respect can't be built. Only earned." The pitch, I would say, is quite effective in selling to its target market: sophisticated and discriminating customers. I would definitely give the marketer an A+ for the striking statement.

Most of us have been taught that respect is reciprocal. We have to receive respect in order that we may dish it out. It cannot be free of charge. Such is the cost of the virtue that we have to earn it. In some ways, we instantly earn respect by simply being somebody.

I was a disciple of earned respect. In fact, I used to make an accounting of it. Anything received was recorded as debit; if I had been remiss, I would have to guesstimate the value that I had to part with. No way. I had to be precise.

The established norm, however, is wrong. The intellectuals who introduced it to society may have erred. The teaching violates what is proper. Our right to be respected is innate. We do not need to earn it. We already have it, by virtue of birth. Likewise, there is no need for us to build it. What we can do is enhance it. Unfortunately, people give more emphasis to enhanced respect that we forget about the core.

Yes, I was once a disciple, but now I find it bothersome. Advertisements are very powerful in molding our minds. I fear for my two daughters whose values are still immature. I hope they will live not seeing any similar advertisement. My girls will bump into a lot of different people in their lifetime; I pray that Nicole and Stefanie simply deal with others in high regard. I was subscribing to an unfair standard for decades, may they get it right from day one.

Do we really want to live in a world where respect is scarce?

Retiring in fashion

I recently signed up for a memorial plan. Yes, I have been preparing for every kind of retirement imaginable. However, for this one, I did not go for the best that I could afford. I wrote a check for the cheapest casket and service. It should serve its purpose.

For those who are willing to lay luxuriously, the plan provider has something worth over US$20,000. It must be real comfortable in there. Elegant? You bet! Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to try it; I could not be bothered. Like a wedding dress, I believe that the fitting should only be arranged at the most appropriate time. Hopefully, not that soon.

Anyway, I told my wife that I would be happy to go in simple terms. My rationale: I know of this certain VIP who had it all yet chose to be born in a manger and whose funeral was less than decent.