Rate this:

Thinking of a good entry for Gasoline Dude’s contest, there is one thing that I really would want to do that I have thought of doing, but never had the idea or the right theme to go along with it. This is to ask people about a certain question and learn different insights or interpretations with their answer. With the theme “gasoline” in mind, one question popped into my head that served as my platform to go along with this:

 “Para kanino ka gumigising?”

A line being used by a coffee company for their adverts (your marketing recall is working guys!). In more ways than one, we have often asked this question to ourselves (or is it just me?). What makes you run? What makes your brain tick? What is your gasoline to get you through the whole day?

Personally, if I will ask myself this question, my answers would be random at best. To the most cliché ones (for family and loved ones), to self-serving (I need a new TV, a PS3 [these reasons are currently true]), to the most logical one (so I won’t be late). I would never give a definite answer and would always change every time you will ask me about it.

Seeing as I would not wind up with a good answer at best (I swear I will never be good at this), and seeing as I am not a good philosophical/inspirational/opinion writer, I asked my officemates as to what their answer will be when poised with the same question. And I grilled them about it (ako na masamang tao, alam ko na yun):

JC: Well, gumigising ako kasi may mga pangarap pa ko para sa sarili ko at para sa mga mahal ko sa buhay.

I think, and she agreed with me, that this would be the automatic answer that everyone will give when given the question. We both agreed that subconsciously, there is a much deeper answer than this.

FM: Sa Diyos. Kasi it’s all about Him.

I asked her about this and gave a follow-up question of how about the atheists? Wouldn’t this exclude them from this notion?

I really did not push on with those questions, but I asked all the same, as I really do not like religious or faith based debates. Also, seeing as I am not an atheist, I really would not have much that input on this topic. We just agreed that her answer is more of a personal one and, again, that there is a deeper answers that can be a common ground for all.

I am not a good investigative blogger. Or something to that effect.

JD: Para sa trabaho. Para di ako malate. Pag weekends, para maabutan ko yung inaabangan kong palabas sa TV.

Personally, I think I would give this answer. A logical one. An answer that would not make me use any of my cerebral functions (sorry JD).

But if you would really think about it, isn’t this its most basic answer? Most days, especially week days, the idea that would pop up is that we need to get up so we wouldn’t be late. As soon as we wake up, we check our alarm clocks and see what time it is so we can get additional 10 minutes of sleep (even if IT IS time to wake up) or check whether we slept 30 minutes more for that additional 10 minutes we asked for.

RD: I’m 90% just going with the flow. and 10% just hoping that things will get better the next day. in short, I don’t have a reason, I just go with the flow and make the most of what’s there.

If I would use my cerebral functions, this would be my answer. Normally, I am more of a “what to do for the day” guy, but oddly enough the quote above is usually what happens. Go with what happens around you and try to get through the day and hope for the better.

We may have different opinions or takes on how to tackle this question (I would still go for self-fulfillment as the base answer for this one), but I think, and I think you would agree with me, that what matters is how we live our lives. Even if we have a goal, an alarming and evident reason, a principle that we choose to live by, or just getting through the day, what matters is how we choose to live our lives and how we make the best and most out of it.

“A good life is expensive. There is something cheaper, but it is not life.”

-          Joey de Leon

¤—————¤

This is my entry for Gasoline Dude’s Blogversary Writing Contest with the “gasoline” of winning a 1TB Portable Hard Drive, hahahaha.

Rate this:

Dear Sachi,

I hope that when you are reading this, you already know how to read. Because if not, this would be pointless and you’ll just close the laptop like you do everytime we watch Sesame Street or dance to Abracadabra on Youtube. (I knew it! I shouldn’t have let you watched that Music Video)

While I’m writing this, I’m eating  a two-piece fried chicken (wing part, which I think, you should know is the part of the chicken which I hate the most) in front of the desktop with Mama’s (and when I mean Mama, I mean your Gramma. Your Mother doesn’t know how to cook. I mean c’mon, she even overcooks her fried eggs and renames it toasted eggs) ultimate gravy. Actually, I’m just eating one chicken. The other chicken is being begged for by Ylmas and Puffy. And yes, I slice it for them and dip it in gravy because they don’t like it when it doesn’t have gravy. Uhuh, you have two spoiled big doggie brothers. Also, for your birthday, you have a cake here, pansit, fried bangus (your tita is a peste pescetarian), and some-seashells-that-I-dont-know-what-their-name-is-because-I-dont-eat-them.

Anyway, now that you have turned one, a big happy birthday greeting is in order. In fact, you have a big celebration on Sunday, which is also your Daddy’s and Mommy’s wedding anniversary. So, it’s good that those dates are like 2 days apart. Saves money. But then again, you really won’t understand it now and I have a big bet that you’ll just doze off on the better half of the party. Anyway, may I request that you make a big, wet, stinky doodie. Let’s give Mommy and your Yaya a hard time, yes?

Anyway, did you know that I did not see you when you first came to Earth? (I made it sound like you were an alien, ahha!) Your Grandpa didn’t want me to go there in the hospital because he said there were numerous tubes stuck in you. Your Grandpa took a picture using his celfone but I guess he didn’t wear his glasses when he took it so all I saw was like a haze or something. There were some hullabaloo when you first went out of your mommy’s tummy but you survived it all. I only saw you on the second day and I had to go Mission Impossible because viewing hours were already over. Yes, your Tito has the uncanny ability to be late.

So when you were already healthy and stuff and Mommy has to return to work, you were always being nannied by your Gramma and Grampa and Lolly during weekdays. I think I first held you on your third month. I didn’t want to carry you because you were too fragile and squishy. Also, your two doggie brothers were always protective of you. Puffy would always follow you wherever you go. Ylmas would always budge your cradle whenever it’s not moving. So everybody’s helping I guess, huh?

Also, whenever it is your monthsary, we always nudge your face in the cake and take pictures of you with icing all over your face. I dunno if I started that, but your biggest suspect would always be me.

Anyway, now that you know the summary of what happened to you during the first year of your life, it’s now time to take a look at your present (or technically your future), or whenever it is that you are reading this (or when you actually get to read this). Don’t worry, I would not give you the “obey your parents”, “be a good girl”, or “always pray” type of speech. I bet my pwet that you have already learned and heard this, it loses its meaning and becomes cliché to you. So here it goes. And I’ll limit it to ten:

• Be good to Ylmas and Puffy, that is if they are still around. They took care of you, so take care of them. Also, they took care of me. They are practically your big brothers. They maybe dogs and they cannot talk, but they did stick up for me when I was having a hard time (and boy I still am was) and they sticked with you even if you didn’t know and realize that you needed them too. So go and buy them some dog food and Denta.
• Don’t be afraid that one day your vision will get blurred due to reading. Because that’s what happened to practically every member of the family. In fact, I think you wouldn’t be considered a part of the family if you don’t own an eyeglasses/contact lenses combo. Me, Grampa, Lolly and Tita have our own mini-libraries so go take your pick. Actually, right now, you do have your own set of books. You just kinda ripped some of them. I will try (and emphasis on try) to make sure that I salvage one of ‘em (I’ll salvage the Finding Nemo Books that I bought you. Yep I’m biased).
• Don’t be a freakin’ Kapuso or Kapamilya. We are Ka-cable or Ka-torrent. The only time we sit down and watch a local tv show is when Eat Bulaga and 24 Oras is on. Other than that, we watch our tv shows from the innernet.
• In connection to above, please, if you will go on your telenovela phase, make sure you outgrow them before you reach 20? Don’t try be like your Mom that she marathoned Korean telenovelas when she was pregnant with you. I think that is the reason why you liked Abracadabra so much.
• It’s ok to watch cartoons even when you grow old. I would happily lend you my collection of Simpsons, Futurama, Family Guy, etc. DVD’s. Remember, humor has no age limits. And when watching these shows, detach yourself from reality so you can make fun of almost anything and everything. Imagination is best when you let it run loose. Just make sure to go back to reality after watching, ok?
• Watch movies! Especially on movie houses when it’s really darn good.
• Have fun! Go to places, try surfing, go hiking, have a food trip. Go do whatever that interests you. Writing, music, video games, sports. It’s fun because they are.
• Don’t ever update your Twitter or Facebook every minute or move that you do. “Kain na ako”, “Tulog na ako”, “Jejerbs na ako”. Please, don’t descend to that or ever go through that phase. I would practically disown you if ever you do that.
• Be good to your future cousins. Spoil em.
• Those clichés that you hear? Follow them. They became clichés for a reason.

I only wrote ten because I have to play my video game and your Lolly just turned the TV on and tuned to Disney Channel and decided to watch High School Musical 3. Needless to say, I threatened her that I will turn the TV off unless she switches it to another channel. (I won the battle, she’s now channel surfing again).

Anyway, you go do or don’t do the things that I said. We will still love you no matter what. But I really, really would like it if you follow ‘em, hehe.

Your poging poging Tito,

——

Commercial break muna bago sa Day 5 haha.

This is a repost for gillboard’s pacontest hehe. Gusto ko kasi nung Mighty Thor Volume 2 or Fear Itself .