Two days from now, the inevitable will happen. I could not stop it, nor could I control it. I have no other choice but to face it- just like any other person born in the year of the Ox, 1985.
It is still so surreal. I still feel like I am my sixteen year old self, still waiting for something GREAT to happen in my life. I have now come to realize that THAT day will never come. It is what we make of it... Every. Single. Day. Like the old adage says, "it's the journey, not the destination."
The BIG 3-0. (sigh....) Maybe it's not gonna be that bad after all? Hmm.... I still have two days left to let it all sink in, to finally accept that I am leaving the "late twenties" behind.
Here are the things I have learned from my life (in general) so far. To wit:
1. You're never too old to follow your dreams.
So you want to be a rock star? A writer? A singer? Then for heaven's sake, be one, or better yet, be all of them! We only have one life to live, and it's never a bad thing to truly follow our hearts. We don't need a Mirror of Erised to tell us who or what we want to be. We already know that from deep within, we just need to have the courage to do it.
2. People will disappoint you.
Sadly, but yes...and they will keep doing so...but only if you let them. And we can't do anything about it but to adjust for ourselves.
3. Toys just get way more expensive as you get older.
Who ever said toys are only for kids? One case in point, my mother's siblings started having a fondness for mountain bikes lately. And mind you, their bikes ARE expensive (ranging 100k each?!) Well, at least now they have the money to pay for it.
4. Choose your battles.
As we age, hopefully our EQ matures along with it, and we learn that it is not necessary to win all battles. Sometimes, we just need how to learn how to compromise. Besides, it is physically and mentally exhausting if we try to fight each battle, all the time.
5. Dogs are the most loyal beings here on earth.
Toki, my 7-year old half dachshund/poodle, still gets excited when I get home. Still won't stop barking unless I go to her and pat her head (also to my Mom,too.) She knows I am coming even when I just alighted from the tricycle down the street.
6. You can only truly learn about a person if you already stayed in one roof.
Or in my case- a tiny, cramped room in an apartment building in the slums behind Pasay City Hall. A one-bedroom unit in an old, pest-infested condominium along Park Avenue, and a one-bedroom apartment along Galvez St., Pasay. In my short stint in Manila, I have had about 3 or 4 room/housemates in a course of three years. It does not matter if you've been the best of friends since high school, you can only truly know a person when you get to live with them. And it's going to take a lot of adjustment and understanding and good communication skills to make things work. Otherwise, it's time to move out and try to keep at least a bit of of both party's sanity intact.
7. Money ≠ Happiness
Sure, money can buy you expensive things or take you to places you've only dreamed of. But having a lot of it does not guarantee happiness. When I was earning my own salary in Manila, sure I can buy things I like and eat anywhere I want to (at least when it's payday,) but I don't think I can truly be happy and contented. You only crave for more, and it's only a vicious cycle. When you decide (willingly or depending on the circumstances) to stop chasing it, you will realize that you can still be happy even without all those worldly things. It all boils down to doing what truly makes you happy. No more. No less.
8. All you need is that one friend.
It doesn't matter how many friends you have on Facebook. Heck, I bet you only truly know a handful of them. You don't need to have hundreds of followers to make you feel better. All it takes is one loyal friend. I am glad that despite our distance, Sewang and I still manage to keep in touch... though we're 5 hours apart! We've been friends since college and got close when we both served in the College Student Board in our 4th year.
9. Do not believe everything you see/read in Facebook.
After all, it is the internet! No one is happy, all the effin' time. I don't really get it why some people post things for the sake of posting... if you know what I mean. It's just ridiculous sometimes.
10. "People may attack you when you serve them, serve them anyway..."
This is one of the most memorable quotes my mentor wrote at the back pages of our high school yearbook (after I pestered him into writing a message for the staff.) I later found out that that quote was from Mother Teresa. I just do not know why, but wherever I go, wherever I get myself into, something untoward really happens with authorities. I think I am not the rebellious type, albeit I am just quiet, a minding-my-own-business type. Sucking up to anyone was never in my vocabulary... still, I get into some sort of trouble. I guess, that's the thing, I don't suck up.
11. You become a scaredy cat when you get older.
At least for me. If you have met me some ten years ago, I'm the one who'd convince you to jump off that cliff. To take risks and don't care what happens next. To just live the moment and be care free! Well, I still advise anyone to take risks, but to think it over and over again and be able to live up with the consequences. Getting older, I guess, makes you realize how precious life is, and with just one, wrong move (or decision), it's game over. Check mate. There's no turning back. So live life to the fullest, but at the same time, try to STAY alive as long as you can.
12. Death is just around the corner.
Sometimes, when we're having so much fun, or get too caught up in our worldly possessions that we think we're already invincible. We forget that our dear life could just be snatched up from us, just like that. I have known a few friends who have gone ahead of us. It's sad, but at the same time, at least they are free from all the hurt and the pain they experienced here on earth. That's the only consolation I can think of.
13. Your fate could change abruptly, just like that.
This happened to me a couple of days ago. One minute I was feeling so low, depressed, sulking in a pool of insecurity and hopelessness. And after receiving an email, I again saw a sliver of hope. A chance, that somehow, things are actually falling into place. (I will expound this in other blog post.) Lesson learned: don't let negativity get the better of you. Believe, even when at times it is so hard to do so. Trust. God does move in mysterious ways.
14. Try to see things in a different perspective.
I got this from watching Big Hero 6 last week. (My favorite animation film from now on!!! Baymax is so adorable!) When things do not go as planned, or as you hoped it to be... maybe there's a reason for it. Or if you've reached a blank wall, try to see things in another perspective. Maybe you could do something about the rut you are in. Even road blocks have detours. Just keep looking!
15. At the end of the day, your family is all you've got.
Due to recent unfortunate events in the household that is too sensitive to divulge, I have come to the conclusion that the love of family is indeed God's greatest blessing. No matter what sh*t you got yourself into, your family will be the one who would pick up the shovel and dig you up from the crap around you. I am thankful that I belong to a family who I know will be there for me, and I, will be there for them. Sure, you could get into each other's nerves sometimes, but at the end of the day, their love is all we need. Really.
Thankful that I am still alive (and kicking) after thirty long years of existence. Looking forward to the next 30 years!
(P.S. The timeline of this article is not quite right as I made 3-4 edits before finally being able to finish it.)
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