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.

Valentine on the drawing board

Every end of the month, I come up with a summary of the work that we had just accomplished (for that particular month): accomplishments against targets and issues that were hurdled or those that could arise. The report will also include specific goals for the following month and the requirements of those new targets. If not for the said scorecard, it will be like sailing out into the ocean without a compass.

February, as we all know, is popular for being a "heart" month. Of course, we have plans for our clients. The objective is to subtly nurture goodwill. No need for anything elaborate, simple knick-knacks should do the trick.

Businesswise, my plan, our plan for the upcoming occasion is clear. Crystal. However, on the other side of the plane, personalwise, I am still on the drawing board. Or should I be a little more snappy, display an abundance of love at home, live my married life to the fullest, and start sailing purposefully?

Wife's YM was hacked

My wife's email account may have been hacked. She only got to learn about it when my stepmom asked her about a malicious email and when Yahoo! suggested that my wife change her password, as the account may have been unscrupulously manipulated.

May God bless the hacker.

Gift of love

I still owe my wife a holiday present. As usual, I am horribly late. How can I be so slow, when Shiela has always been quick to remind me of upcoming occasions? Honestly, it is an area that I need to work on. Furthermore, I should also learn to wrap my presents because, lately, she has been experiencing fatigue from receiving gifts of love.

As irritating as it may be, I never get tired of teasing my wife about my gift that will never wither. She usually tells me, in disgust, that it is never enough. I agree and give her the go-ahead to shop for something reasonable.

It is all friendly banter between my wife and me, but everything makes sense.

Some people give out boxes but fail to give love. Others would not even be willing to offer love in jest. How about those who take back love? Those whose boxes have attachments? More off-color are the ones who will give you an accounting of the gifts relative to their fake affection.

What would you rather receive?

Kiss my ass

While I may not be a big fan of an unlaced up Manny Pacquiao, I become an advocate when he is on pre-fight mode and when he steps inside the ring. I was once an athlete myself but quite far from the phenom that he is. Talent is one thing but to be willing to invest in the mental and physical demands of elite level competition is what truly separates the men from the boys.

Recently, a lot has been written about Pacquiao's unwillingness to give in to the dictates of his possible megafight adversary and the latter's promoter. To think that Pacquiao is poised to lose an insane amount of money, he just would not budge. The $50 million being dangled is not enough for the high school dropout to be pushed around.

Paquiao may have had a history of compromising his principles: in dealing with contracts, showing loyalty, and so forth, but it does not necessarily mean that he will always violate them. Change is possible. Principles can be rebuilt.

For standing his ground this time, I admire Pacquiao. He showed that it does not require advanced education to have principles. Most of us, even the most educated among us, will find the $50 million out of the window incomprehensible. Pacquiao chose to walk off rather than kiss ass.

Happy holidays!

Happy holidays, everyone! I hope we are all having a grand time with family and friends. Make the most out of it. It does not usually last long.

Love at its grandest

Inay, my grandmother-in-law, passed away three days ago, after years of confinement to her bed. The hip injury, four years earlier, greatly affected her quality of life. To be honest, I thought her death was better for her; it put an end to her agony.

I was with a client when Shiela informed me that we needed to rush to Inay's place. Apparently, my grandmother-in-law died in the arms of her caregiver while the latter was trying to feed her. My wife was restless, and I had to calm her down. Since I had no plans of rudely disrupting my meeting, I discreetly sent a text saying that we will go soon after I finish. Of course, Shiela could not wait and went her way.

Anyway, I ended up telling my client that someone in our family died; nonetheless, we could still continue. My rationale: Life must go on for the living. We will pay our respects, but whether we go sooner or later, nothing else could be done.

When my wife got to Inay's place, most of the members of the family were already there. Regardless of my grandmother-in-law's lifeless condition, the family wanted to be with her. It did not need to be a life and death situation for them to act hurriedly. Clearly, the family was drawn together by flesh and love.

As an outsider myself, I could feel the outpour of very strong emotions. It was not just customary; everything was genuine. I wish I could declare the same for my own family. Inay was bedridden for the longest time, yet her children persisted to extend her life. Definitely, another first for me.

Who's bad?

Driving on our way home, my wife and I leisurely exchanged ideas about the most recent fight among our folks. What else is new? Domestic chaos is like seasoning to some members of our family. For this reason, I once said to an inquisitive former girlfriend, "Please do not ask anything about my family. I have nothing to be proud about."

Growing up, I learned to be immune to disorder and have even perfected the art of detecting any upcoming red flags. It may be unhealthy, but in my case, it was essential. Time always proved me right.

A few years ago, I got entangled in an affair involving my folks, something I have been vehemently avoiding like a plague. Since my old self knew nothing about retreating, things became a lot messy. Although I was not into it to win the battle, I was engaged to enlighten the guerrillas about the shameful turn of events.

In the heart of it all was my grandmother. She was infamous among her children because of the way she treated her father, husband, and kids. Anyway, my contention was for the children not to take revenge. If they want to distance themselves, then go; however, to treat a person horribly is barbaric. I suggested that if they cannot embrace their mother like a human being, at least, care for her like a pet. Yes, a brutal analogy indeed. If they cannot love her, respect her. Sadly, they did not get my point. I became the bad guy.

I am no saint, but the aforesaid gruesome event is something that the elderly should never show their kids. When faced with similar circumstances, you would not want your kids to do the same. Now, the cycle has been repeating itself again and again among siblings because they did not have a better example. Could it be common sense not being common after all? Values formation? Blinded by what? Ruled by whom?

I have not seen my grandmother in years. I respect her. I love her, but I had to distance myself because I love my wife and kids more.

Way out of stress

We all have our unique ways of managing tension. My style is to not think about the source of anxiety, but it does not work all the time. It never will. Life's problems are so complex; you cannot simply ignore them.

Whenever my stress level rises, I seek refuge either at the spa, for a decent Swedish massage or the gym. The latter does not involve any cost; hence, I can engage freely. On the other hand, a trip to the spa usually requires a bit of negotiation with my financial officer, Shiela. I almost forgot, she also happens to be my wife.

It has been two months now since I last went for a massage. Surely, I miss the euphoria of a relaxing touch therapy. Lately, however, I have been indecisive. The negotiating part, as mentioned earlier, is another form of stress. Additionally, someone talked me out of it.

Shiela usually deals with tension by harnessing with her loyalists. They conspire their way out of her misery. Could have they, at some point, plotted against me? Just kidding. Anyway, if the committee could not convene, my wife would end up finding solace... at the spa. The irony of it all! Poor me, she stashed away all the loose change.

Then, there are those who walk their way out of anxiety. Some people pop a pill and sleep on it. While others bake and mix flour with anything, one batter after another. How about you?

Women and their fallible instinct

My wife and I exercise a system of open privacy. We enjoy unrestricted access to each other's letters, emails, phones, wallets, bank accounts, and so forth. It did not happen overnight though. It was more of an evolution, mainly a result of my unspoken approval.

While our practice is not universal, neither of us complained about it. If you have nothing to hide in the confines of your relationship, overriding the rules of privacy may appear suitable. However, it has its demons. I am afraid it is too late to exorcise them.

The riddle with open privacy, especially when the parameters are not clear, is context. Without a clear understanding of the circumstances relevant to an issue, instinct eclipses logic. Humans are supposed to be cognitive beings. Things are not hard-wired in us like animals. We have to gather information and process them through volitional effort.

Often, my wife and I get into disagreements because of our flagging system of open privacy. For instance, should you nag about a text message that no one has control over? Anyway, I do not see myself winning any of our trivial battles because she will always choose to believe in what she thinks. Maybe all she sees is my past, or should we start talking about PRIVACY?

My stock picking argument: History is not an indication of future performance.

Tell Me Your Name

By Jose Mari Chan

Tell me your name you're lovely
Please tell me your name
Just when I thought
This would be one of those boring games
You walked into these feelings
You looked at me and smiled
My heart unfroze and started going wild

Can you imagine this
The confusion of
First love's kiss
A return to wondering
If the magic of love was this
You merely said hello
And my mind did a stop and go
Can it possibly be
The future for me is you

Tell me your name
I must know
Won't you tell me your name
I'm not insane
Just frightened that you might go
Don't go please stay beside me
Wait until I can tell you all my schemes
Chasing rainbows spinning dreams
Finding someone to love like you

I'm not insane
Just frightened that you might go
Don't go please stay beside me
Wait until I can tell you all my schemes
Chasing rainbows spinning dreams
Tell me please your name
Tell me

*A friend's favorite

Controlled playfulness

Are you married? Tired of having the same homemade toast for breakfast? It should not be the case, right? Maybe there are mornings when you are in a rush that you end up skipping the most important meal of the day. However, have we not been told to eat breakfast like a king? If you have to get your fill somewhere else, you better be sure that it does not make you tepid about homegrown stuff. Granting that you are also being treated in a regal manner, but should not there be only one true queen for a king? As for liquid meal replacements, they could be downed in a jiffy. While their pitch is convenience, the bloating and gas could leave a trace of the past. Now, where is your beloved toast? I hear you saying that you are not tired of it. Good! A bit of cereal here and there in order to break the monotony, but you are married.

Pardon me for the play of words. Sometimes I like talking semantics, especially when they are meant to justify a wrongful act. I know I should not. If I have been pretty successful toeing the line for millions of seconds, why lose my footing now? I must admit, I have played with emotions and hurt the owners in the process, but time has changed. I am no longer a jock and should not be playing ball. However, a recent event called me out of my retirement. I thought it felt exhilarating to be warming up my previously inactive muscles. Fortunately, my sense of balance is in place. It is good to be thinking these days. Neither do I want to see my wife nor someone else's family wounded.

Play time is ending soon. I just have to continue exercising controlled playfulness.

To Realize

To Realize
The value of a sister/brother
Ask someone who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of ten years
Ask a newly divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year
Ask a student who has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of nine months
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize
The value of one month
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize
The value of one week
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute
Ask a person who has missed the train, bus, or plane.

To realize
The value of one-second
Ask a person who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.
You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special.

To realize
The value of a friend or family member
LOSE ONE.

*The origin of this letter is unknown.
**A forwarded email from Dad 3, I thought I should share it with you.

Over salmon

Just had dinner with my wife: salmon, salad, rice, and dessert (chocolate, a household favorite). It left me satisfied but not full, just the way it should be. Yes, appetizing too for it was not one of my Shiela's cookings. Kidding aside, in our household, whatever is on the table will get into our stomachs. I will always give my wife an A+ for her efforts; they will always count. As for results, she is getting there. (Good thing we are not talking business here; otherwise, she will have to pack her bags.)

Shiela and I had a good conversation, diverse yet related. We talked about global warming, the flood that hit our country, life after the calamity, my propensity to use my charm to woo the unsuspecting, and so forth.

The flood was like no other. It was unfathomable. In fact, some parts of the country are still under water. Indeed, the misfortune could strike us again. However, I was quick to point out to my wife that the rainbow is our living reminder that we will not be totally wiped out. What about global warming? Probably, it should be called global warning: The earth will be getting hotter by the day. No more floods, only this time a burning furnace.

With regard to my wooing the unsuspecting(s), my faith has just been tested again (again and again). Fortunately, I have been rekindling my relationship with God; hence, my thoughts and actions are more cautious. Like a baseball player, I would prepare (be tempted) to bat but not go for the full swing. I do not expect a home run anymore. Why step into the diamond in the first place? Anyway, the thought of the burning furnace is helping me win by default.