Living One Life

Life-Changing

2009-12-03T02:19:00.003+08:00

I’ve recently heard of a doctor named Lewis Wall, an ob-gyn at Washington University in St. Louis. He hasn’t always been a doctor though, he started out as an anthropologist in South Africa but at the age of 27 decided to become a doctor. And it is this decision which has greatly changed the life of countless women suffering from a medical condition called obstetric fistula or vaginal fistula.

Wikipedia describes this condition as; a severe medical condition in which a fistula (hole) develops between either the rectum and vagina (see rectovaginal fistula) or between the bladder and vagina (see vesicovaginal fistula) after severe or failed childbirth, when adequate medical care is not available.

This condition renders women incontinent, or unable to control bladder or even bowel movement and their smell turns them into pariahs and cause them to be abandoned even by their own families.

Imagine living in a pool of feces and urine with no one to turn to, and where everybody else turns away.

But this is curable, and Dr. Lewis Wall has dedicated his life in treating this condition. For him, it is just a simple operation that can be done in minutes. Yet for these women, this becomes an astonishing life-transforming event which gives them their life back.

One can only really appreciate grace, and kindness from a helping hand when we are at our most desperate.

And like Dr. Lewis Wall, how many of us would change the course of their lives, or even just their schedule for today to make a better life for others?

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/opinion/01kristof.html?th&emc=th
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obstetric_fistula

Who Needs Saving

2009-10-13T02:20:00.002+08:00

'Your Planet Needs You! Unite to Combat Climate Change' (2009 World Environment Day slogan)

SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT!

SAVE THE PLANET!

Care for it or not, the earth will ruthlessly wipe out an entire population in seconds.

Treacherous? No. Nature’s signs are seldom unforeseen, but often - regrettably, just casually ignored. We all take comfort from our seeming invulnerability. “Look at the pyramids of Egypt” they say, still standing after all these thousands of years, its presence magnificently imposing.

But the earth is patient. And it is also relentless.

In our so called calamities, we realize that we and everything we’ve built are all at the mercy of the great forces of this planet. We are no different from a colony of bacteria on the kitchen sink. Sooner or later, down the drain we all go tripping.

Long after humans are gone, the earth will continue to exist on its own terms, the way it has done for millennia.

The earth doesn't even know we’re here.

The earth, the environment doesn’t need saving.

You see, it is us, creatures from the genus Homo, bipedal primates with a misplaced pride who really needs saving.

Whizzed By

2009-03-09T10:05:00.001+08:00

Some plans really don’t get done the way you think it would. Even if everything you need is already in place, with your willingness to get things going in-gear, one thing or another comes in the way.

But then again, maybe the plan itself wasn’t so… well…, well-planned.

So you get the feeling that time, and life, your life just whizzed you by. Leaving you by the roadside all dusty and wondering; ‘What the?!…’.

But is all life supposed to be all that planned? Isn’t life’s surprises more awe-inspiring than all those wonderful things we ever envision happening for ourselves?

Of course…, not all surprises are welcome. Most are things you won’t ever want even for your worst enemy.

But if you do take stock, you’d see and learn to recognize that many of those little everyday things that we often take for granted, are actually gift-wrapped packages that are unobtrusively sent your way.

A baby’s smile, your love’s hug, a kiss, your child’s belly laugh. All fleeting. Yet realize and savor these and you’d invariably feel grateful, undeserving, but all in all; just blessed.

It’s like learning to watch the night sky, only when we purposely look up and watch out for it do we see a shooting star whiz by.

As I Watch You Sleep

2008-12-14T20:01:00.006+08:00

I open my eyes to look at you.

It's 3am, and I feel you close. And as I watch you sleep, I feel sorry, and I am sorry, for all those times I made you sad, made you cry, made you doubt, made you feel no love.

I only hope that deep down inside, you knew how much I love you, even during days when I wasn't so loving, and not even caring.

Everyday, when I wake up, I look at you beside me, and I feel humbled by God's grace. Humbled because I may not have everything, nor even deserve anything, but I be the one so lucky and blessed to have this one thing that nobody else has; you.

Thank you for all the wonderful years. And I wish us more and better.

I hope I make you happy, make you proud, make you feel wonderful, confident, content, and well-loved.

Happy Anniversary.

With all the love in my heart...

September Thoughts

2008-09-25T06:57:00.007+08:00

To My Lovely Wife,

Hi.

You know what? I've been thinking a lot about you this past few days. (Well, I mean more than I usually do.) We've been together for years. And looking back, it all went by just way too fast for me. And I miss it all. (Yes, including those ugly, angry moments). And if given an incredible, wonderful chance to live it all over again, I'll say yes even faster than you can blink. And if asked to choose who I'd want to do it with this time around, I'd still definitely choose you, without question, without any hesitation. But if asked if I would want to change anything, I guess I'd have to say yes.

That's because I'd like to:

Hug you more, and bug you less

Appreciate you more, and criticize you less

Spend time with you alone more, and make you lonely less

Show you how much I really love you, and less of "10 Things I Hate About You"

Kiss you more, and diss you less

Listen to you more, and ignore you less

Hold your hand more, and make you sad less

Talk to you more, and keep things to myself less

Smile at you more, and make a face at you less

Make you laugh more, and make you cry less

And make love to you more, and “brought my work home” less

Sadly, what's done is done. And I can't bring back any day, not even one.
But God gave me this gift called Today, so I can start all over, do all that, and make your day.

Love you,

When Chaos Reigns

2008-07-31T09:52:00.007+08:00

Often wondered what this life is all about?

I think everybody does.

And I think we're afraid of the answer, or answers, whatever they may be.

And that is why we - to keep our minds off it - try to keep ourselves busy with everyday things when we're young, silly things when we're teens, and with ego-building trips in our mids.

Realization comes oddly enough when we think we are at our peak, to some as they approach it, others while they wondered if they have gotten anywhere at all.

Still, being wonderful creations that we are, we move on..., and on.

So, to my fellow travelers, here's a thought to bring with you; a thought you can light in your head like a candle when it's quiet, or to summon like a gloriously bright angel when chaos reigns, with a blinding light that wipes out all your doubts and despair and give you peace.

What Will Matter

(The Philippine Star 11/26/2006 http://xingkit.wordpress.com/2006/12/)

Ready or not,

someday it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises,
no minutes, hours or days.

All the things you collected,
whether treasured or forgotten,
will pass to someone else.

Your wealth,
fame and temporal power
will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned
or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations,
and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans,
and to-do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important
will fade away.

It won’t matter where you came from,
or on what side of the tracks you lived,
at the end.

It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.

Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?

How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought,
but what you built;
not what you got,
but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success,
but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned,
but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity,
compassion, courage, or sacrifice
that enriched, empowered or encouraged others
to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence,
but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew,
but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re
gone.

What will matter is not your memories,
but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered,
by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

Hillary Rodham Clinton - A (nut) Case Study

2008-04-03T09:18:00.005+08:00

There's something creepy about Hillary Clinton. If you've been keeping tabs of the Democratic Party presidential nomination race, you'd feel there's something off with Hillary, and her campaign has revealed more of her than I'd think she'd like. You feel like you're watching a bratty little girl that would say everything, do anything, pretend to be and exaggerate on anything just to get what she wants. You get the feeling that when it's over and she doesn't get the nomination, part of her plan is to do enough damage to Obama's campaign that Obama wouldn't be as electable as he could be, come November 2008. That if it ain't gonna be her, neither is it going to be Obama. It's all just about her and all about one-upping everybody else.

I've since been trying to put a finger on - why is it that I feel what I feel, when I see, read, or hear about Hillary. Like alarms go off in my head. But I can't seem to nail it. So I searched for, collected, and compiled some of the things that she's been described as, and / or called as being, to which, when I first read or heard it, I was like; "That's exactly IT!!! That's what she is!!!"

Read one at a time, chew on it, and see that it rings true...

Calculating..., Lady Voldemort..., Tanya Harding (skater who knee-capped her Olympic rival)..., Dishonest..., Unethical..., Very Cold..., The Terminator..., Pathological Liar..., Manipulative..., Congenital Liar..., Occasional Human Being...

Makes me nod my head.

Sources:

http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/mixed-media/2008/03/11/no-calling-hillary-calculating-is-not-sexism
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/opinion/30dowd.html?ref=opinion
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/opinion/26dowd.html
http://poligazette.com/2008/04/02/zeifman-hillary-unethical-dishonest/
http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=127503
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/opinion/23dowd.html?hp
http://commonsensepoliticalthought.com/?p=2572
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/US_Elections_2008/0,,2-10-2339_2285752,00.html
http://www-cgi.cnn.com/US/9601/first_lady/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/us/politics/26clinton.html?ref=politics

GMA Ouster - One Missed Call

2008-03-27T16:12:00.008+08:00

The Opposition and (so they claim), the people, want to boot GMA out of office. And we've seen numerous attempts that have been made to serve that end, from the comical (Trillanes antics) , the hard core (Makati Interfaith rally 02.29.08), and the very entertaining but never ending photo op (Lozada Grand Tour). Yet, nothing seems to work, at least for me.

What I mean is, why don't I feel compelled to join them in their efforts, nor even feel a wee bit sympathetic to their cause?

Hmmm.... let me see...

1.) WHO's who? - I don't wanna think that I am united with these fellas:

> Erap. - I was in the crowd that booted him out of office (with great satisfaction), so linking arms with him is definitely out of the question.

> Trillanes. - Delusional ego-tripping wannabe. What's there to like?

> Lacson. - I'd be playing right into his machinations.

> Leftist groups. - They have their own agenda. Communism, anyone?

> Opposition politicians. - The muck that comes out when you cram the above personalities and groups in a blender.

2.) WHAT for? - a better economy? I don't see how.

3.) WHY? - for justice, truth and change? And we can gain all that just by throwing her out the window? It sounds too easy. Like instant noodles. We're all in the same bus, and if for some reason we don't like the driver, we just don't grab the wheels and yank him out of his seat, especially if there's nothing wrong with the driving. We just might wreck the bus by ending up in a ditch somewhere.

4.) WHEN? Now? - 2010 is just around the corner. She'll be out by then. Rushing this situation to a conclusion seem to invite chaos, and beget problems that exponentially beget other problems that I feel queasy pushing Humpty Dumpty off that wall. Because you see, she's not Humpty Dumpty, WE are.

Credit Card Woes - Conclusion

2008-03-27T14:09:00.009+08:00

I have been receiving numerous comments and questions regarding my previous posts on Credit Card Woes. Some of them I replied to, some I left out to the readers to find out for themselves, given time. What I've noticed though; some questions can be answered by the questioner if he simply reads the entire Credit Card Woes series thoroughly, especially my replies to some of the readers' queries right below the article.

To all those who sent questions dated way back like 2006 and 2007, if you're reading this, then you probably know the answer to your question already.
Maybe you still have credit card debt, still can't pay, or you're slowly paying up. But definitely, you ain't in jail, and you're probably in some internet cafe sipping ice coffee or maybe at home in front of your pc. If this is not the case, and you're wearing an orange pajama and shirt with a big P on the back, then by all means, TELL US WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?!

Anyway, I felt the need to sum this series up as I probably can't answer all your questions. So I leave you with 4 points to remember when you feel the pinch, so you could function again, and live your one life out of that hole which circumstance, or you, have dug yourself into.

1.) Relax - hard to do if you're way down deep in credit card debt, but very important. It may be small comfort to know that tens of thousands of Filipinos are in the same boat as you are. Knowing that millions die of cancer each year does not make it any less stressful if you have it. Still, it does no good if you dwell on it. There are better things to do.

2.) Pay When Able - don't pay if it means selling your last pair of shoes, and ignore all demands asking you to do so. Pay when you're ready to pay. But don't be so eager that you go seek them out and sign the first promissory note from some lawyer office you see. Wait it out. The best deal and the opportunity to pay will present itself to you sooner or later.

3.) Move On - yes you can get that NBI clearance, you can open that bank account, you can get a passport, go anywhere you like, or apply for a job abroad. No one can take your right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness because of credit card debt. Besides, how would you be able to pay if they stop you from living your life?

4.) Stop The Cycle - got a shiny and flashy new card but still have debt? Don't even think about it.

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Related: Credit Card Woes - The Call, The Letter, The Visit

Next Post - GMA Ouster - One Missed Call

God Our Dad II

2006-06-14T12:58:00.001+08:00

Here's more of those Dear God letters you love.

Dear God,
I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that ok?
- Neil

Dear God,
I think the stapler is one of your greatest invention
- Ruth M.

Dear God,
In bible times did they really talk that fancy?
- Jennifer

Dear God,
I think about you sometimes even when I'm not praying
- Elliott

Dear God,
I am Amearican What are you?
- Robert

Dear God,
I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the world. There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it.
- Nan

Dear God,
Please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now.
- Ginny

Dear God,
If you want to watch in Church on Sunday I will show you my new shoes.
- Mickey D.

Dear God,
If we come back as something please don't let me be Jennifer Horton because I hate her
- Denise

God,
I would like to live 900 years like the guy in the Bible
- Love, Chris

Dear God,
If you let the dinasor not exstinct we would not have a country. You did the right thing.
- Jonathan

God Our Dad

2006-05-06T16:25:00.001+08:00

Somebody emailed me this Dear God letters written by kids. I bet God couldn't help but love these kind of letters as I did, and I know you would too.

Dear God,
Are you really invisible or is that just a trick
- Lucy

Dear God,
I want to be just like my Daddy when I get big but not with so much hair all over - Sam

Dear God,
Did you mean for giraffe to look like that or was it an accident - Norma

Dear God,
I keep waiting for Spring but it never come yet. Don't forget. - Mark

Dear God,
Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't you just keep the ones you got now? - Jane

You don't have to worry about me. I always look both ways - Dean

If you give me genie lamp like Alladin I will give you anything you want except my money or my chess set. - Raphael

We read Thos Edison made light. But in Sun. school they said you did it. So I bet he stoled your idea. - Sincerely, Donna

Please send Dennis Clark to a different camp this year. - Peter

Dear God, Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother. - Larry

Dear God, I do not think anybody could be a better God. I just want you to know but I am not just saying that because you are God. - Charles

Next post -> God our Dad II

Credit Card Woes - The Visit

2006-04-22T17:47:00.004+08:00

After battling your way through those irritating phone calls and reading those heart-pounding letters sent your way by the mighty credit card collection agency, we now come to one of their more effective collection strategy. The home or office visit.

By showing up in a place where you feel most safe and secure, they hope that they’d be able to shake your steely resolve with one thing that frightens us all – public humiliation. So, they come out in a van with screaming bold letters on the side exclaiming – DEBT COLLECTORS – much like those pest exterminator vans you see around.

How to fight it? There’s only one thing you can do. And that’s to just grin and bear it. Because even if you can complain in court for harassment, there’s no way you can undo that day when they came. But there are a lot more Don’ts.

Don’t get scared. That’s what they’re hoping you’d do.
Don’t let them in. You can talk to them outside. Unless they have a court order which I doubt. If you’re in the office, tell the receptionist or the building guards not to let them in the next time.
Don’t let them pressure you into signing anything.
Don’t take their insults personally, they're just doing their job the best way they know how. So ignore the drama and you might even find it amusing.
Don't agree to anything immediately. Just get the details and tell them to give you time to think or consult a lawyer about it.
And finally, don’t stop your big dog from barking.

Related: Credit Card Woes - The Call, The Letter, Conclusion

Next post -> God Our Dad

Credit Card Woes - The Letter

2006-04-12T16:45:00.004+08:00

Now that you’ve figured out how to deal with that credit card collector on the phone, expect them to start pushing up the ante. The battle has now been joined, and they’re now ready to unleash one of the most effective weapons in their arsenal, The Demand Letter. Just one of these if received unprepared - especially the first time - is enough to bring a grown man down to his knees in surrender. So let’s gear-up and find out if there’s a reason to fret about this threat.

Most credit card demand letters come in two types.

One is the pretty straight-forward type, specifying how much you owe, a reminder of the contents of the credit agreement, plus a bonus threat regarding what action they’re gonna take against you.

The other kind of letter is more indirect in its approach but nonetheless more potent. It is formatted to look like an official civil/criminal Complaint ready to be filed - or to the impression of some - already filed in the appropriate Trial Court. No wonder people who are uninformed and unfortunate enough to get one of these would seriously contemplate on how much painful it would be if they were to jump off a building.

So before you jump, allow this to sink in: You’re not in trouble, it’s just your impression. So CHILL! (repeat as needed)

Let’s look at excerpts of a sample Credit Card Company Demand for Payment:

Dear {Your Name}:

Our client, {Your Credit Card} has referred to us for appropriate legal action your total unpaid account of {Your Debt Amount} as of {Date} representing purchases and usages made thru your above-stated Card, inclusive of finance and penalty charges, as well as collection fee.

Under the terms and conditions of the Card member’s Agreement, {they now quote the small print at the back of the credit card agreement you so happily and excitedly signed a couple of months or years ago}

Despite repeated demands, you failed to pay your said account, hence, we are formally serving this DEMAND for you to pay in full your said unpaid account, including all charges within FIVE (5) DAYS from receipt hereof. Otherwise, we would be constrained to CRIMINALLY PROSECUTE YOU for Violation of R.A. 8484 (Defrauding of Creditors) if the evidences warrant and/or CIVILLY CHARGE YOU, for Collection of Sum of Money with Prayer for Attachment, before the (Regional or Metropolitan) Trial Court of {City}, in order that you may be penalized with imprisonment including the recovery of litigation expenses and judicial cost, as applicable, and twenty five (25%) percent attorney’s fees, without further notice and delay.

Please consider this as our LAST and FINAL DEMAND.

Scared you the first time right? Now let’s take it apart!

1.) They’re demanding that you pay in full within 5 days?! - Ridiculous! If you don’t have money, you don’t have to pay. Why? Because you can’t! No need to borrow from anybody. It will just get you deeper into debt.

2.) Their asking you to pay in full the principal plus the charges which continuously accumulates every month! - Again, Ridiculous! You weren’t able to pay last month’s balance so how could you pay for it now when it’s higher than last month’s? I’d love to see them jack it up into the millions and let’s see if they’d be able to collect anything by then.

3.) Criminally prosecute you for Violation of R.A. 8484 – now don’t focus on this sentence, focus on the next – if the evidences warrant. Now that’s a big IF!

- So what kind of evidence would warrant a violation of R.A. 8484? Let us quote:

“A cardholder who abandons or surreptitiously leaves the place of employment, business or residence stated in his application or credit card, without informing the credit card company of the place where he could actually be found, if at the time of such abandonment or surreptitious leaving, the outstanding and unpaid balance is past due for at least ninety (90) days and is more than Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00), shall be prima facie presumed to have used his credit card with intent to defraud.”

Ergo you're off the hook!

Why?

How?

Because you're holding that letter. Which means you could actually be found. And as for you not informing them, - the fact that you're holding that letter is the best evidence that you did inform them, - if you did move. Let them prove otherwise.

- Is that paragraph all that R.A. 8484 contains?

NO - but that paragraph is all that could possibly apply to you! The rest is all about credit cards (and other devices which they call access devices) fraudulently obtained. Like if you used a fictitious name to obtain the card, or you used a stolen card. But if you did all that, I don't think getting a demand letter is what you'd be worried about.

So the fact is, a demand letter works to your advantage. It has your name on it. It says that you were honest and upfront when you obtained that card, but unfortunately you can't afford to pay right now.

If you really had any intent to defraud, do they think you'd be stupid enough to have used your mother's house as the billing address?!

4.) Civilly charge you for Collection of Sum of Money with Prayer for Attachment – They can but they won’t. Why? It would cost them more than the amount you owe. And the most likely result would be a settlement. With you paying maybe less than what they’re asking for. But do you know what’s really stopping them? BAD PUBLICITY.

5.) Consider this as our Last and Final Demand – Well, I have a friend who has a box full of these.

OK! But what should I do when I do get one of these?! – Get a big box.

Related: Credit Card Woes - The Call, The Visit, Conclusion

Next… THE VISIT

Credit Card Woes - The Call

2006-04-11T12:36:00.002+08:00

So now after a couple of years in Just-swipe-it Heaven, you find yourself in Barely-scraped-through-minimum-payment Purgatory heading towards Tell-them-I’m-not-here Hell!

For those of you who are inevitably plummeting down credit card debt hell, let me soften-up your landing a bit. And for those already wailing and gnashing their teeth from debt heat, let me ease your suffering a bit with a bucket of ice water.

That’s right folks, there is hope and respite from your credit card woes. But no, I’m not gonna help you pay. All I’m going to do is enlighten you a bit with regards to your situation.

Pop Quiz: You’re receiving maddening calls from seemingly very angry people calling you names, looking for you wherever you are, asking you to pay up.

What to do hotshot: Take the call if you can’t avoid it. Relax, take a deep breath, and sit down comfortably. Answer with a simple yes or no. No need to explain yourself, they’re not there to listen to you whine, they just want your money.
Now most of them will come on to you like mafia dons, shaming you with your inability to pay, threatening that they’re coming to get you and that slab of flesh from your behind.

Well, that’s what they think!

When that guy on the phone starts to raise his voice, just tell him this: "Mister, stop play-acting. I don’t owe you any money, you’re just a poor employee collector agent whatever, so don’t act as if it’s your money I owe."

Now that he has realized you’ve caught him in his act - (yup, that’s all it is, just an act, so relax!) -he can’t possibly get on with it anymore. Whatever he says afterwards will sound flat to you and to him too, like you’re hearing an old joke. Besides, he can’t really be mad, he’ll probably get a commission when he collects from you.

Some of these credit card collectors may try to harass and put you in embarassing situations and even if you're able to put them in their place, you find that the damage has already been done. Well, just grin and bear it, but I'll tell you this: It's just a phase. It will pass.

But what if the caller sounds like an angel from up high? Gently reminding you that you need to pay up or else...

He’s playing the good cop act then so just ignore the ‘or else’ stuff too. But this would be a good time to work-up a deal, just make sure it’s on your terms. Tell him how much you can comfortably pay in a month. If he relents, fine, but if not, you can go hang-up that phone. Don’t worry, he’ll call back. And be it good cop or bad cop, you’re gonna be ready.

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Related: The Letter, The Visit, Conclusion

Next… THE LETTER

The Philippine Opposition Will Fail

2006-04-07T12:53:00.001+08:00

The former president Corazon Aquino can lie prostrate in front of the Virgin Mary for a hundred years and she still won’t be able to convince me to join her in an anti-Arroyo rally. Why?

Because right beside her is either Susan Roces, an Estrada family member, or some Communist wacko.

Because if you ask her who she thinks would be competent enough to replace the President, the gist would be – Let’s rally first, the rest is in God’s hands.

The Hyatt 10 could cry themselves dry and wring their hands till their fingers switch places and I still won’t give them a hoot. Because you get this queer feeling that they’re just obviously and so pathetically stoking the flames, trying hard to drum up indignation where there is none.

Even if they come out with a video of President Arroyo herself switching a ballot box in high-resolution slow-mo action, I DON’T CARE. Because she probably saved us from something worse. Fernando Poe as our president for 6 unimaginable long years.

And to Francis Escudero, here’s why;

Nobody’s listening.

Especially to you.

You can go talk to yourself

till your toes turn blue.

NEXT... Credit Card Woes

I Am Here

2006-04-05T12:20:00.000+08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I came upon some stuff that my grandfather used to own. I found jottings on paper, typewritten pages and some journals. I recognized them at once as his personal take on the life that he has lived. A definite blog! Some form of look-back-and-take-stock of what his life has been all about.

Reading them I learned and discovered a lot of things - births, deaths, names and lives of people he'd met, his aspirations, dreams. By his writing I sensed his happiness or felt how proud he was of something. Also his sorrow and sadness even when he did not or could not take it upon himself to write those down.

At first I was trying to get a hint of who his intended reader was. Later I figured he wasn’t really writing it for anybody. I guess that maybe he found something therapeutic about putting down his thoughts in writing.

A couple of days after I read all his stuff, I came upon a book titled “Anna’s Book” by Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine. It’s a psychological mystery tale revolving around the clues or non-clues contained in the diary / memoirs of a woman’s dead grandmother. It was slow but nevertheless a good read. It got you intrigued just enough to keep the pages turning till the end.

Somehow all these got me to consider writing my own. As to why, well I really don’t know. Therapy? To unload? Share? To be a voice in the wilderness? I think my reason as to why, would change each and every day.

We’ll all have our reasons in doing this blogging thing. In this finite world of ours, we will inevitably realize that we’re all just passing through. No exceptions. And that we all have this desire to make our mark or, leave our mark. Something that would say, “I WAS HERE”. Not for all the world to see, on the contrary, maybe nobody would even see it. But there is something enlivening, life affirming and reassuring in knowing that we have done so.

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