The Day My World Stood Still

Yes! You read it right. The title of this post is taken from a movie. It was not because the world has gone thru a disastrous time that made me to borrow the title. It was just a personal experience. That personal experience happened to be mine. My experience. My world.

Beginning of this year, almost all of us listed what we wanted to change, achieve and other matters we have called since time immemorial as New Year’s Resolution. Personally, I only kept a few important goals and resolutions. One of those resolutions I listed was TO BE IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP. For me to be always reminded and put me on “attack” mode, I set a deadline to make it happen. Without any consideration, March 31, 2014 was the deadline or 1st quarter of 2014.

If you feel the urgency, impossibility or simply find my resolution funny, please don’t judge me. Don’t laugh at me because I have had enough. Most of my friends, if not all, were bewildered with this and find it funny. They couldn’t help themselves to laugh.  My relationship status as single has never changed since birth. My heart has been a virgin for 25 years. I am just a poor boy waiting for someone to love me. 

In each day of the first quarter, I felt jittery as I faced it daily. Like most of us say that every day is another day, I held on to that promise but I couldn’t help myself to feel anxious about my goal. Time went by so fast that I couldn’t even cope up. I have this one particular person who I thought was the realization of my resolution but as of writing of this post, nothing is happening. I guess we are better off as friends. Nevertheless, first three months of this year went by so fast. It was so fast that it left me so way behind. 

March 31, 2014 passed and today is April 2, 2014. I am still single. I fail to realize my resolution.  I feel a little sad but I am laughing as I write this post. I am laughing because I have been crazy for three months.  What was I thinking for setting a deadline for my love life to prosper? LOL!

There are really some aspects that cannot be planned. One of those is the love aspect. Out of this crazy three-month experience, I have learned one lesson. True love transcends time. If I want to experience a love that lasts beyond lifetime, a love that’s forever, I should be patient. True love waits. It is more than enough to make my world stands still.

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Today's Music: Bless The Broken Road by Rascal Flatts

I set out on a narrow way many years ago

Hoping I would find true love along the broken road

But I got lost a time or two

Wiped my brow and kept pushing through

I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Chorus:

Every long lost dream led me to where you are

Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars

Pointing me on my way into your loving arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through

I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you

But you just smile and take my hand

You've been there you understand

It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Chorus:

Every long lost dream led me to where you are

Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars

Pointing me on my way into your loving arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

Now I'm just rollin' home into my lover's arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you

http://artists.letssingit.com/rascal-flatts-lyrics-bless-the-broken-road-l3mm24t#axzz2wYSCp7WE

Senior Citizens: "Please Still Include Us"

How does one feel when he/she is at his/her youth? Isn't he/she having the time of his/her life? Isn't he/she allowed to experience all that life has to offer? Isn't he/she beautiful? Isn't he/she entitled to be young, wild and free? Isn't he/she capable of doing everything?

I am on my youth now and I am enjoying every moment of it. In professional aspect, I have earned my bachelor’s degree and got the corresponding professional title for it. I have been working for over three years now. This is the moment in my life that I can navigate my life where I choose to go. Physically, I am strong and feel healthy. I seldom get sick except for having asthma attacks once in a while. I am very appreciative of myself. I feel I am at my most attractive and desirable stage. I am more comfortable and confident about myself than I was years younger ago. At this time also, I do my share as Filipino Citizen. Since I turned 18 years old and registered as voter, I have never missed to exercise my political suffrage. To say "youth is the spring time of life" may sound cliché but this is how I truly feel right now because I can do whatever I desire because I am capable and able.

When youth fades, what will happen to me? Will I still have the same level of enjoyment that I am experiencing now? I am much aware that I will not be as healthy as now when I'll be old. But will I be as enthusiastic about life by then? At present, I am opinionated and participative of what's happening in our politics. I always take a stand of what I believe. For that reason, I am driven to really exercise my right to vote. I am still hoping those elected officials are doing to protect the people especially less fortunate, vulnerable and weak. When I'll reach old age, I will be defenceless, vulnerable and weak. Will I be constitutionally protected by then?

RA 9994 - The Expanded Senior Citizens Act is one of the country's laws that tackles about senior citizens. As a young professional, this makes me happy because there are privileges I am going to enjoy when I'll reach old age. I was able to know this act because my present job has to do with senior citizens. Part of the job is that I have to deal face to face with our Lolos and Lolas. Every time I give to them one of the additional grants stipulated on this act I can't help but to know a portion of their life. It is good to know that our government gives importance to our elderly.

Moment of belonging.Group of senior citizens expecting for their stipend.

As I do my duties I realized that parents will always be parents. My heart melts with this. Out of that meager stipend they received they would still share it to their children and even to their grandchildren.

However, there were also painful real life situations I've encountered. To have many children is not an assurance that one of your sons/daughters will take care of you when you will be old and weak. I've witnessed some of the Lolos and Lolas who diligently went to the site to claim their grants alone. There was no one to assist them. When asked if why they were alone they would only say that all of his/her children were busy with their own families or already left and lived in another place. Some of them would tell that they didn't want to disturb the busy life of his/her children. 

What had taken me a back immensely was most of our senior citizens felt they were already disconnected to the society, to the family. From my point of view, to feel left out, neglected or alone crushes a person's sense of belonging. I have never wanted to feel alone. And to feel that way is the worst kind of ordeal I don't want to encounter. Loneliness is a dangerous killer. It can kill you slowly yet painfully.

When all of us reached the age of majority, we started to plan how our life to be in the future. We visualized that we would be employed in a stable and great company. For some of us, to own a business would be the greatest achievement. When we would already be financially independent, most of us would like to have a family on our own. A few of us would consider living a life of singleness whether in a holy order or not. In order to achieve that detailed plan or our life, we promised that we would do great in our studies believing that education is the key to a better future. And when we earned our diploma or were already capable to survive the challenging world, we took off to realize those plans.

We have referred the life after schooling as the real world and this real world, once we set foot on it, took the best of us. It forced us to be always to be preoccupied in our chosen career. Manic Monday, busy Tuesday, stressful Wednesday, hectic Thursday and deadline Friday were our labels for weekdays. When Saturday and Sunday come, we would pamper ourselves. We would be tired but we would never give up because of our eagerness to make our plans realized. 

There is nothing wrong having those personal plans in life. Also, there is nothing wrong realizing those personal plans. What we fail to include in our personal plans are our parents. While we are so focused with our life, our parents age, get old and weak. It is just right and our time to give back to the people who have given us all without asking any in return. It is accordingly right to fly back to the people who gave us wings to take greater heights in our life. We should remember when we were still not able to walk, they were our feet. When we were still not able to talk, they were our voice. When we were still not able to see the wonders of the world, they were our eyes. So who are we to neglect them when we are now able and capable? Who are we not to take care of them? Who are we to be selfish?

More than what the government can extend to our elderly, let start from us. Let’s be generous to the closest senior citizens in us by distance and by blood. Let’s include our parents.

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Recent Life Ventures: Four-Day Valentine’s Celebration

Valentine’s Day is a big deal for people who are in a relationship because today they are allowed to express their love in the most romantic ways possible. Chocolates, roses, love letters and fluffy stuff toys are some of the usual gifts. Love songs complete the whole mood of mushiness of this event. On this day, those who have partners go early out of office, work or class in order to spend dinner date or simply quality time with their special someone.

However, I as single and not in a relationship status, need not feel alone on this day. Instead of spending the event in just one day, I celebrated it in four days. Valentine’s Day doesn’t discredit any single to celebrate it joyfully. It could be celebrated having a dinner with friends, family or something out of the box.

My celebration started on February 13, 2014. I spent time with my Almighty Father. I prayed for the obvious reason. I prayed for love. I prayed for the love of my life to come into my life sooner than I expected.

Sta. Ana Parish Church

On February 14, 2014, I gave out my gifts to my 3 friends and when office work was done I partied at Sunsets Beach Park, Island Garden City of Samal. The event was called Back2Love. I went there with the Party Fun People. I enjoyed so much that I forgot to take my own photos of the event. I just missed a blog worthy event.

After that day, I went and danced the night away at the event called The Flight (The Flight Hit Turbulence) in The White House Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge in Camella North Point, Bajada, Davao City. 

On February 15, 2014, I spent again time with my Almighty Father. I attended the Sunday mass and I realized that there are so many aspects of life. So I prayed not only for the love aspect of my life but for the totality of myself.