Pinoy Writers Online

He empties to the sea we know almost constantly. But at times he stops, and allow saltwater to flow back and intoxicate him….

Life suggests for us to always move forward , to leave behind unwanted memories, make new happy ones.

I agree that time is really generous to give us the chance to walk and pick up all we can take in, to run with the hope of going ahead, and then to stop and realize that all that I gathered while I was walking are gone, fell off my hands when I went running. But there is no point going back as there are others behind me. If I stop, they might was well do the same.

The baggage I have seems to be the reason for the slow pace of my life, but certainly it has all that I need. And I have the faith that I will take all of it to the destination that I designed. I almost said, all by myself but I could never deny impressions of many journeys I walked with, ran, and most importantly the ones who remained when I stopped with my buckets all empty.

I have come across many others, very recently I consider just another pilgrim that I am. Following different trails, waded on different streams,  swam and crossed rivers. Some, I believe are still going, but at least one has definitely stopped, involuntarily.

The direction of the road, how the river flows perhaps dictate what and who we  meet and treasure, but never has time been defied or life became a suggestion.
 

A long trek on a dessert, the thirsty looks on a mirage, and believed it was water….

Emptiness is what mainly drives us to go places, maybe see new faces.  But little do we expect that on that blind search, we will find mirrors of inner us. May those be outcomes of our own actions, or others made for them, and for some reason we see ourselves.

It is not very hard to imagine that others are just like self; they have their own battles to try winning. But if you have lived your life sheltered, the outside world offers lots of surprises. Pleasant; that can definitely be questioned. Constructive? Maybe…

Life in a sheltered world is really deceiving. You will think that one is protected, far from the harsh elements of the outside world. Little do they know that within those walls is a dungeon.  No one would ever care peeking through; they are so occupied with their normal lives.

Living within the walls is a world of its own, a cramped concentrated one.  Sounds are muffled from outside, yet reverberating inside. Time is tricked to be still while everything is going on. All that happened today is bound to be repeated tomorrow.

"Will you marry me?"

     Nagpalakpakan ang mga tao sa office ni Maia.  Maaga akong nag-out sa trabaho para puntahan siya sa office nila.  Maglilimang taon na kami next month, tamang panahon na para lumagay na kami sa tahimik.  Alam kong hindi na siya nagulat sa proposal ko.  Kilala ko siya, sa tagal ba naman naming magkasama.  Hindi siya yung tipong madaling masurprise.  Alam kong alam na nya na yayayain ko na siya ng kasal.  Kaya naman nagkunwari na lang siyang nagulat, siguro para hindi naman ako mapahiya sa officemates nya.  

    Si Maia na ang babae para sa akin.  Mula nang maging kami almost five years ago, wala na akong ibang hinanap, hindi na rin ako tumingin sa iba.  Maprinsipyo kasi akong tao, ayoko nang magulong buhay.  Gusto ko lahat maayos, ayoko ng away, ayoko ng complications.  Magkaklase kami noong college.  Two months before graduation nang ligawan ko siya at noong araw mismo ng graduation namin nya ako sinagot.  

     Bakit ko nagustuhan si Maia?  Tahimik sa room, mabait sa lahat ng classmates namin, matalino, maganda, at madaling patawanin.  Hindi siya yung babaeng maarte.  Game siya sa lahat pero konserbatibo pagdating sa mga values nya bilang babae.  Hindi siya yung tipong nakikipaglaro pagdating sa relasyon.  Parehas kami.  Ayaw namin ng laro-laro lang, gusto namin yung seryoso at may pupuntahan ang relasyon namin.