Lessons from Mr. Bean

My little Stefanie is so fond of Mr. Bean. Being a kid, her attention span is supposed to be short but not when Mr. Bean is clowning around. She simply goes gaga over him. I could only wonder why.

I was never a fan of Mr. Bean. I thought of his humor as off the wall and boringly stupid. Maybe I was unfair to have pre-judged him without much consideration. I have not even sat down in any of his shows.

One day, Stefanie dragged me to watch what she dotingly called, "her favorite;" so there I was, a trying-to-be-supportive dad, about to agonize over the antics of the man and his tiny car. To my surprise, bit by bit, I was being consumed by Mr. Bean. I took a look at my little Stefanie and saw the smile of the happiest kid in town. In no time, we were both laughing silly.

Mr. Bean does not talk much. He speaks mainly through his actions. As it is, my Stefanie loves him. Mr. Bean gives her joy. (I am sure my Nicole would love him too.) What more if the character could articulate through words?

In the real world, a lot of us are so un-Mr. Bean. Instead of holding people in our arms, we drive them away. Many of us use the gift of gab to inflict the deepest of wounds. What beauty does it bring? It is a shame I had to learn from the mum Mr. Bean.

Life is too short not to let people know how much we care. Let us not miss the opportunity in this lifetime. Be someone else's Mr. Bean.

Greed is not good

If you have dabbled with stocks or are still invested, absorbing paper-loss at this point, you should be able to relate to this story.

The stock market is not for the faint-hearted. If you could not swallow volatility, better stick to other instruments. While stocks have the potential to generate an obscene amount of cash for savvy investors, a wipe out of one's nest egg is not uncommon.

Last year, I was able to pull the plug early enough to avert any loss. It was not a perfectly timed exit though, as I saw some of my stocks rise shortly after I unloaded. Had I stayed invested, I could have made another 10% killing, at least. As my stock broker friend would always say, "you should never look back." Luckily, I did not and went my way to cash in my chips. The market went on a free fall in next to no time.

A social contact, several years my senior, was unfortunate to miss the mark. She lost millions on a particular favorite, speculative stock that we both invested in. I sold after gaining more than 400% while she held on. Now, she is whining when she could have been smiling.

I am back

It was not until middle of last year when I stumbled over web logs. We set up a new company and were looking for cost-efficient marketing avenues; hence, the birth of my first blog. Although the site was very corporate and marketing-driven, I enjoyed every bit of it. In fact, blogging rekindled my passion for writing.

I have been writing for publications since 2000. From being a neophyte, I evolved into an experienced, paid writer. It was a hobby that generated frequent loose change for a budding writer like me. Even so, I took pleasure in seeing my works either put into print or sent to your mobile phones. My photo that accompanied some of my articles was a bonus for the readers. :)

February of 2006 was my last published article. I lost interest and decided not to renew my contract. The fire was gone. What was once an art form for me has become a chore. Believe me, when you have to beat deadlines, it becomes one.

Now, I am back. After a two-year hiatus, I am excited again, although in an entirely different setting. I hope this one is for keeps.

On time(x)

My business is largely dependent on proper scheduling. While it is no longer as chaotic as before, it could still be stressful on occasion. Good thing, appointments are the only pressures I have to deal with, and since they are self-imposed, they are variables that I can manipulate. However, what I have no control over is the attitude of the party involved, especially on the subject of punctuality.

A friend of mine said it perfectly, "lateness is stealing other people's time." How many of us are in the wrong of robbing others of a luxury that we cannot afford to repay? Frankly, I would rather be cheated monetarily, knowing well that there will always be tomorrow to recover, than to be robbed of time that will forever be lost. How about you?

Over the years, I have learned how to deal with people who are inconsiderate. I have not mastered the craft yet, but I am getting there. Unlike in the past when I would wait miserably for an appointment to show up, I leave. If one does not appreciate my business, I would gladly take it somewhere else.

I am not a big fan of wrist watches; I only wear one on important events. (Incidentally, I would like to thank Mr. M for the constant supply of Timex watches. Timex keeps me on time.) However, I still do make it on the dot. And if Mr. Z, the tycoon client of mine who has businesses the world over, can make it early all the time, no one has an excuse. Actually, it is not the watch but the respect.

Respect is permanently inherent in meetings, whether business or otherwise.

I am not independent after all

For seven years of my married life, I have not exercised my faith. Except for the rare, half-hearted prayers, I could not be bothered. I pretty much relied on my own abilities. Things were going well, why fix it. I was independent, I thought.

I have nothing against those who do not recognize the existence of an even Greater Being. I, at some point, have also embraced the axiom: Comfort is achieved through hard (smart) work. Spot on, in earthly respect. However, is it the true essence of life?

Eight years into my marriage, I became conscious of the creature that was me. I learned to appreciate all that there is to life and beyond. My relationship with God, family, and the lives I touch are of significance now more than ever.

I know I exist for a reason. A journey defined by righteousness is life's essence. I would like to work hard and smart for it. The path leading to the One who blew into me life, I would like to see my family walking with me.

Goodbye, friend

Booze and driving are never compatible. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. PLEASE, DO NOT!

My mechanic would still be alive today had he been rational enough to stay partying than go driving. Too much alcohol made him lose his coordination, senses, and life. What a waste!

How unfortunate that his kid's birthday will always be remembered as his fateful day. It will surely be difficult to celebrate next year.

Tomorrow will be my friend's funeral. I will grieve with his family. My classic car will miss him too.

Living on the fast plane

I bumped into a friend, an airline owner, the other day and asked him how he was. He indicated that he was just surviving. With the global economy putting a major dent on the tourism industry coupled with cut-throat competition, I could only wonder how long he could hack it.

I reckon my friend should have sold two years ago when a client of mine expressed interest to buy the company. He must be living on interest by now, but business was all rosy then. Today, everything is for sale. Unfortunately, there are no takers.

How sad, I never took advantage of the complimentary tickets when things were still good. Too late to call his secretary now and book my first "free" flight down south. Kidding aside, I was just there to help him cross-promote his airline, as I am now.

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