Thursday, April 24, 2014

Simplicity


What does it mean to be simple?


"Simple" is such a simple word itself, but with many different meanings attached to it. It depends on the how the person understood what simple means to him/her.



What is simple for me?



Simple is when you live a life that is free from too many wants that can't be attained. Of course, who doesn't want to be rich? I do want to be rich. But in reality, I learned to see that rich isn't limited to having lots of money. Rich can also mean having good friends, happiness, and being thankful for what you have. You can have everything in this world and still not be happy, while those who may not have much can be happy as a rich man. There are times we do get envious, but always remember that getting what you want means hard work. Being envious too much means that you don't know how to make yourself happy and you take blessings for granted.



Sometimes, people complicate things for themselves. I learned while growing up that you can learn to accept the things you can't change and you have it in you to change things that you can. This is why the Serenity Prayer is my favorite prayer. I learned that you can change your life even if you can't change the entire world to a world you want. That's how it goes.



These thoughts simplified my own life. Sometimes, it's still complicated. But I just take a deep breath and tell myself that I can face things and get through.








Monday, April 14, 2014

The Student Writer



Random fact about me: I used to write for our high school publication. While I never reached the rank of being an Editor-In-Chief or one of the student heads of that publication, I did learned a lot about writing, time management, and getting along with others. I'm glad I joined the staff of our paper, even though at first, I was hesitant to do so.




I always loved writing, but I only kept it to myself. Until one day, I joined a writing contest and I unexpectedly won. Then the head of the school paper, my English teacher, convinced me to join the publication staff, since they were on the look out for student writers. I submitted another piece (a news one), and I got in.




It felt good for me to be able to write and be seen through the class paper, but at the same time, I felt intimidated being with the student staffers. Most of them were really intelligent, in the honors' list, debaters, and also joined inter-state writing competitions. During meetings, I would quietly sit in a corner and just agree to what everyone else was saying. I was that mousy then. My life as a student writer at first was: write something, submit to the EIC, proofread if needed, and then submit again. I never really do a lot of talking with my fellow staffers.




I'm glad it changed when I bumped into my EIC at the local diner one summer break, and we talked over bowls of ice cream sundae and cheesy fries. She was fun to be with, and though she seemed intimidating at first, I learned that she was open-minded, smart, and friendly. She told me that I've been doing well in the school publication, and she encouraged me to hone my writing skills. The next academic year, I learned to become more open with the other students in the staff. Soon, I got invited to parties and out-of-town trips.




Being a school publication writer probably influenced my decision to choose my college degree. I'm glad that I wasn't that doe-eyed anymore when I took up Lit for my major. I am still open to learning about writing, as you always have to grow and improve. Joining the student publication and writing for it enriched me in ways I never expected.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Pages of An Old Diary








I remembered keeping diaries as a grader. I think I had about 3 diaries written in-between Grades 3 to 5. I saw it again inside my bedside drawer when I went home for spring break. All three of them had locks, and I while I couldn't open the other two (because I lost the keys), I managed to unlock the other diary, written when I was in fourth grade.



I laughed at the entries I wrote in there; about my terror teacher, the girl I didn't liked in class, and the boys who used to tease me. There were also some poems and short stories in there. One was about my terror teacher in Math (again) and a short story about girls and cooties.




I really had a ball laughing at my childish diary entries. I did outgrew some of my childish ways. I learned to deal with different kinds of people and get along with the boys. I did ended up being "one of the boys" who can play ball and climb trees with them. And that girl I didn't liked in school became my life saver in sixth grade, when she resuscitated me from drowning in the town river during summer break (many thanks to Hilary because of this). In short, life gives you unexpected things. It may be good or bad, but the best thing is, you do some growing up after experience.



I did outgrew my diary writing ways. I'm glad and still mortified that I kept them. I think this is a reminder of how far I've gone, and the childhood days when I was carefree and naive.



Reading my old diary did made me smile.


Thursday, April 3, 2014

Alone But Not Quite






There are times that I do feel alone. Times that I feel wherein I have to exert more effort in reaching out to others. It's not that I'm totally crippled when it comes to making friends; it's always been natural for me ever since I was a child. But as time passed by, I found out that it's more of trying to fit in and blend with the crowd. Being self-conscious made me this way, aside from the fact that I experienced a mild case of bullying during senior year.



Yes, I was bullied. But it's more of snide comments and being talked about in the ladies' room. I'm glad someone helped me out and defended me from the mean girls, because I was too helpless back then to fight for myself. I didn't know what I did to get them worked up on me. Maybe it's because I was on the honors' list. That friend surely helped me out and told me that I don't have to be ashamed of being "nerdy". That got me through the healing process.



And I realized that I don't have to change just to feel accepted and get into a crowd.



Well, I'm glad I'm over it now. One of the bullies actually apologized to me during our high school grad day, and I'm thankful for that. Being angry can be tiring. I focus instead on what I have now. My friends may be a handful, but they're good to me. And I'm bound to meet other friends later on.



I accept the fact that I'm introverted. Even if I like being alone, I still like having friends. I attract the good people, and I'm lucky in the field of friendship.



I don't feel so alone anymore.