Thursday, June 28, 2007

Coffee with Rando

Mitch Albom wrote a beautiful book during the last days he had with Morrie. The Tuesday sessions they shared brought new meaning to Albom's life and to his millions of readers including myself.

There is a similarity in Albom's interaction with Morrie and my regular coffee breaks and "four-hour lunch" with Rando. The big difference is that Morrie's passing was expected while Rando's was not.

We neglect the value of a person when that person is someone we see everyday. We appreciate the goodness of the man but fail to live that goodness in ourselves. We always forget that the person we appreciated as a friend or a companion will leave us and never come back.

That was Rando to me, to us whose lives he touched. He was my mentor and my friend yet I failed to remember the lessons he passed on to me. I failed to show in my deeds his good examples. I failed to understand the lessons he taught me... but not until he left, for good.

At 45, Rando died while doing a very healthy thing - working out in a gym. According to witnesses, he collapsed. They gave him CPR and took him to the nearest hospital. Traffic was normal - HEAVY! He was declared DOA.

It was a shock to us when we learned about his death. We (another close friend and I) were waiting for him in that fateful Tuesday morning, 26 June 2007. Almost daily, from his workout at the Country Club, he would fetch us in our office to go back to the Country Club and have breakfast with him. There we would talk for hours about anything under the blue skies. But... he never came, he never called. We were only informed about his passing shortly before lunchbreak.

His way of life is something that should be followed. He may not be a saint but he is a very good man.

We will never forget Rando.

Note: Written 10 June 2008 at McDonald's El Pueblo while waiting for my food.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Walang Hanggang Paalam

by Joey Ayala and Bagong Lumad

Di ba tayo'y narito
Upang maging malaya
At upang palayain ang iba

Ako'y walang hinihiling
Ika'y tila ganoon din,
Sadya'y bigyang laya ang isa't isa

Ang pag-ibig natin ay walang hanggang paalam
At habang magkalayo papalapit pa rin ang puso
Kahit na magkahiwalay tayo'y magkasama
Sa magkabilang dulo ng mundo.

Ang bawat simula ay siya ring katapusan
May patutunguhan ba ang ating pagsinta
Sa biglang tingin kita'y walang kinabukasan
Subalit di malupig ang pag-asa

Ang pag-ibig natin ay walang hanggang paalam
At habang magkalayo papalapit pa rin ang puso
Kahit na magkahiwalay tayo'y magkasama
Sa magkabilang dulo ng mundo.

For Tatay Rando...

Eternal rest grant unto Tatay Rando, O, Lord... And let perpetual light shine upon him.

May Tatay Rando rest in peace. Amen.

Monday, June 25, 2007

REQUIEM


TO TATAY RANDO

To you who directed me in the ways of the corporate world, I give you thanks.

To you who lectured me on the value of friendship, I give you thanks.

To you who reminded me to be sober, I give you thanks.

To you who showed me patience, I give you thanks.

To you who instructed me on the importance of processes and procedures, I give you thanks.

To you who laugh so loud at my green jokes, I give you thanks.

To you who explained to me the importance of keeping my cool, I give you thanks.

To you who played badminton with me, I give you thanks.

To you who reminded me to learn how to drive, I give you thanks.

To you who loved treating me at Valle Verde Country Club for a hearty meal, I give you thanks.

To you who taught me the value of family, I give you thanks.

To you my friend, I give you thanks.

To you my mentor, I give you thanks.

To you my father, I give you thanks.

You will always be remembered.


Sunday, June 10, 2007

Fathers Day 2007 by Starbucks Coffee

10 June Sunday
Happy Dad's Day!

Those were the words printed on the Starbucks Coffee 2007 planner!

At 1:00 o'clock in the morning of Sunday, June 10, 2007, I was sending an SMS message to my parents and greeting them, for today is their 35th Wedding Anniversary. I added a "Happy Fathers Day" greeting for my father too.

After a few minutes, after composing a Fathers Day message, I was texting our COO, CEO, several General Managers, friends who are fathers and greeting them, too. I also composed a special message to friends to greet their fathers for me.

Then I changed my YM status and greeted all the fathers in the world a Happy Fathers Day!

A friend from LA told me that Fathers Day is June 17 and not today. I checked my Starbucks 2007 planner again. I was not wrong. I was not drunk. There was a Fathers Day note on June 10th printed by Starbucks on their calendar. I checked the internet... and voila! Fathers Day is June 17th. I checked on the June 17 of the Starbucks 2007 planner and there was NO Fathers Day note on the planner.

My boss and several friends sent me reply messages to my SMS message early AM of Sunday... "June 10 is not Fathers Day," they say. June 17th is! Hay... so ashamed.

I am boycotting Starbucks Coffee until Fathers Day next week.


:-(

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!

1

O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

2

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.

3

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.


Walt Whitman... The Dead Poets Society... Mr. Keating... Carpe Diem! Sieze The Day.

Nothing to do with the poem, but after watching The DPS again, it gave me that nostalgic moment when I was still in High School and being a student leader was never able to "sieze the day!" It was only in college at the University of the Philippines where we experienced what the real experience of being free - Academic Freedom.

But yet again... who is free?

Every human being especially us, Filipinos, are still chained to slavery in the form of so many things. Be it capitalism, religion, pride, money, sin... and even love.

It is so sad, like the Captain, that after weathering the storm at the end of the journey, you can not live to see the success of docking the ship in the port. That despite the efforts and the leadership you showed, your crew will still stage a mutiny against you.

Sieze the day!

The challenges we are experiencing in our lives almost daily are food we take to keep us going. Keep us living. Without these challenges, we are not humans. We are not living.

Sieze the day!




Friday, June 01, 2007

Remembering Vincent

Starry, starry night painted palette blue and gray..

It was so sad for me to know that i never saw my friend leaving this world at an early age. I learned about his condition when Tita Marlin (his mom) told Mama (Ampy, my aunt) about this and him going to the States for treatment. She, I think she did, even gave Mama Vincent's address there.

After the treatment, I think he was able to go back to LCC for a visit. He told Nanay down at Breakers' Snack to say "hi" for me. He was having his hair short then, or was he bald already?

The next time I heard about him was that he already succumbed to cancer. I heard about his burial. My Mama attended the burial and she told me that some of our batchmates were there. Somebody from our batch also gave a eulogy for Vincent. I only visited his tomb August of last year I think. I can't remember. There was no name on his tomb yet. When did he die nga pala? What year?

Vincent's birthday is March 22. That was also the day of our graduation. After the graduation ball some of you, guys, went straight to our place in Alijis for my birthday.

Let's offer prayers for Vincent.