Sunday, June 21, 2009

FATHER'S DAY CONFUSION

FATHER’S DAY CONFUSION

Last Sunday, June 14, 2009, second Sunday of June, our Parish Priest, after the mass announced and greeted Happy Fathers Day to all concerned. Some newspapers also showed commercials on Father’s Day as some friends and relatives also sent to me text greetings.

All the while I knew that Father’s Day would be June 21st yet which falls on the 3rd Sunday of June. The confusion that happens yearly was probably caused by the fact that Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of May and many thought that Father’s Day was also a second Sunday.

Came true Father’s Day, June 21st didn’t surprise me that there were only few greeters although I was expecting my wife to invite me to eat outside to celebrate my especial day. But as usual she was too busy attending to her ‘farm’ with the helpers so that I was left alone in the house to eat “bahaw” (cold rice) and salted egg with tomatoes.

Only two of my children and a son-in-law greeted me but I was not complaining because I was fully aware of the prevailing confusion. So, left alone with only my echo, may shadow and me, I felt a kind of loneliness creeping throughout my being; the lonesome feeling that was always a constant twin companion of the aging process.

I couldn’t help but think of the by-gone days, the happy moments and the memorable events. I was completely engulfed by nostalgic incidents that I found myself traveling joyfully in the past. It was a thrilling trip through the time tunnel that showed me clear pictures of happy days. After all I didn’t need a formal invitation from anybody to enjoy the occasion. It was all in my power to go anywhere I wanted to visit to experience again especial occasions that brought me excitements long before I became a father.

My mind was still so fertile and so healthy that I could still make a choice to enjoy my day. This was possibly an off shoot of the Father’s Day confusion but who cares; I was still immensely enjoying it when three high school students came by requesting my help with their assignments. One of them was my boy helper who was able to finish high school with the TESDA help. Unable to pursue a collage education he was again applying to help me with my daily chores. It was ironic that while all my children were everywhere except by my side this day, these children by other fathers were here seeking my fatherly help.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Who is Responsible?

June 13, 2009

The Health Officer-in-Charge
City Health Office
Tagaytay City

Dear Sir;

Yesterday,a septuagenarian woman, sent off her Balikbayan nephew and niece to the airport on their return trip to New York. On her way back to the province she felt somewhat sick. She passed-by Mercury Drug in Tagaytay to buy some medicines.

While waiting, she suddenly felt she needed to empty her intestines and so she asked the Manager, for the toilet. She was not at once accommodated in spite of her pleading, by giving so many flimsy excuses.

The woman wasn’t able to control her abdominal spasms and had loose bowel movement on the spot. She was feeling so sick and what happened was a greatly embarrassing situation which could have been easily avoided had she been given access to the toilet on time.

Mercury Drug is an outlet for medicines and is expected to have several sick people most of the time that are there to buy their needed medicines.
Why is it not provided with easily accessible toilet and why was it given Sanitary Permit to Operate?

In events like this who is supposed to be responsible? Is Mercury Drug in Tagaytay not violating any business permit?

Let us not allow other victims to experience something like this. I request for appropriate action.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

A Pleasant Surprise

A PLEASANT SURPRISE

She first intended to surprise everyone, because my middle daughter is fond of surprising us every now and then. But this time her parents-in-law are visiting their family in Canada so she decided to divulge the secret before they come.

She is five months pregnant with a baby boy. It is in fact a most pleasant surprise. Her elder daughter is three while her younger is about two years old. She is afraid that her in-laws might get ballistic when told the secret.

But I am sure it would be the other way around. Instead of getting ballistic, her in-laws would surely be over excited about their first coming grandson. A first grandson is always greatly awaited by grandparents.

In my case he would be my second grandson but my excitement is not in anyway diminished. It makes me feel so good that I would have two grandsons and six grand daughters. That is quite a wide range of projection. Instead of feeling old I feel even newly rejuvenated. I happily anticipate the moment when I can play with them. I am afraid I will no longer be acceptable to them as the generation, cultural and geographical gaps are already so wide but whatever… I just feel terribly happy