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A boy in the jeepney

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:13:38 +0100

While I was on my way back to my boarding house from office, a boy along with a seemingly tired elderly woman boarded into the jeepney where I was in. He wore a white t-shirt that had become gray, faded long pants that seemed quite bigger for him and slippers which was a bit larger than his feet.

I was the only passenger when they boarded in. Although the long built-in bench across was empty, both the boy and the elderly woman found their butts, including her plastic bag that she placed beside her, warming on the same bench I was sitting. Comfortably sitting like their own sofa in the house, the boy and the elderly woman seemed to occupy half of the bench’s space that could accommodate about eight passengers.

I recognized the boy. He is the ambulant vendor adored by some UPLB students who always hang out at LB square. I knew him because he once came to our table – while having dinner with my friends at LB square months ago – selling his espasol. Armed with his marketing mantra, he popped in like a bursting bubble from one table to another enticing, if not begging, the students to buy his delicious espasol. Mind you, he could steal attention from students who are engaged in raucous conversation; or even lovers who coddles like love birds in the candle-lighted tables.

Although his charm does not work on the students all times, he always makes sure that he gets home with an empty basket.

If only

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:09:15 +0100

If only there is a school in the world that offers “human flying” as a bachelor’s degree, then:

I could be among those who would exchange the comforts of life for a slot in the Flying Academy;

I could be among those who would challenge the theoretical underpinnings of mathematics and physics even if I loathe them;

I could be among those who would learn to love one’s phobia of height and braved the scorching heat of daylight to accomplish the sky-flying exercises with soaring colors; and

I could be among those who would rather contain one’s longing for release when nature calls so I could fly far more hours than my compatriots.

A prelude to Psalm 90

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:05:55 +0100

I received a call from our Outreach Preacher (OP) that I am going to take over his post as preacher in the afternoon service in Bay, Laguna this coming Sunday, August 01, 2009.

The reason for this is that our Pastor asked OP to preach in Taguig because he would be around Metro Manila on July 30-31. He is scheduled to attend a training on Youth Conuseling in Valenzuela City on Friday and wants to spend time with his father after the training until Saturday. This idea sounded like strategic or economic opportunism! Not bad at all especially that LWBC, our church, is badly struggling financially.

OP learned about this seminar on DZAS, a Christian-based radio station in the Philippines. He extremely found this seminar so important in capacitating him as the church's youth director and counselor. Without a hint of hesitation in my voice, I accepted his request with so much pleasure knowing how much he longed for his participation in the training.

He told me about the training two weeks prior to its schedule of implementation. I could see the excitement at every crease and twitch of his face while sharing with me the joy of finding such a great learning opportunity. He was hoping that the training would capacitate him in providing better counseling to the youths and even those at the upper age-bracket who wish to seek his advice.

I was in Tarlac in central Luzon when our OP called. I was assisting a colleague who facilitated a focus group discussion with our partners in Sapang, Moncada. I was busy with work then so it did not sink in my mind the burden that I placed on my shoulder until Friday, July 31, 2009. I did not know what to preach!

I prayed for a divine intervention. It did not come. I thought I did not pray well enough that could open the gates of heaven. I turned to the Holy Scriptures for help but of no avail. Browsing through the pages in the books of Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the New Testament did not even fill up the dent a bit. However, there was no time for giving up; the only option left was to accomplish the task.

Saturday came but my mind was still groping at finding a topic for my sermon. I let my mind rest for a while at an unknown avenue to recharge and gain strength. However, I was confronted by several mundane tasks which had buried my other very important task almost completely somewhere in the farthest chamber of my brain. I just realized that I left an important task snugly resting somewhere longer than planned when I got back in my place at 10:00 in the evening.

The search was on-the-go again. But I got tired after a few turns at the crossroads of finding a topic to preach. I thought I got my brain recharged. I was grievously wrong. With a burgeoning irritation started to ventilate, I immediately launched my virtual space shuttle to escape from reality by watching a movie, Angels and Demons. Again, I thought this diversion was a good strategy to temper madness. After watching a few scenes, the monitor of my computer went black.

Well, I did not explode. Patience must have taught me to aerate my temper out from my senses tenderly. I tried to troubleshoot the problem hoping that escaping from reality would become a reality. However, I gave up after experiencing successive failures at three attempts. Overwhelm by weariness and defeat, I went to sleep to get a good escape from the bites of the so-called reality.

To be continued….