My stories of 2011: a hush-hush roundup

Five hours before the year turn 2012, I find myself writing down what 2011 meant to me- what made a mark, what struck me, what made me cry and smile, what made me wonder, reflect, dream and hope… Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t about some year-end reports on top stories of 2011 made by news outfits. The global events are of personal significance. These are MY stories of 2011…the ones I don’t want to forget for one reason or another, as I move on to a new year. On that note, let me keep going.

In a world gone hell, a Royal Wedding. Every woman dreams to be a bride… more so to have a fairy-tale wedding. I wasn’t spared from the wedding fever. I remember cutting short my coffee-chat with a mentor just to be home for the telecast. I watched as Kate Middleton got off from the posh hotel, waved to the crowd before going inside the bridal car and on to the church. More than the wedding ceremony, or Pippa’s gorgeously simple get-up, I was totally swept and almost drawn to fantasy and illusion as I caught a glimpse of the most anticipated bridal gown---. End of story. That’s just about it. I guess, most of it.

From a beautiful romance to the gloomy Japan’s March 11 quake and tsunami and Arab Spring. Looking at the footages of Japan’s massive quake and tsunami, I thought I was seeing some scenes in a sci-fi movie about the end of the world. I was as shocked and awe-stricken as the entire world was. The nuclear disaster that ensued became the world’s worst since the Chernobyl of 1986. I have never seen such devastation from a natural disaster. And then the Arab Spring is nothing like the world has ever seen unfolding in the Middle East nations. The chaos and bloody strife made me grateful for the peace and democracy I breathe in this country.  Most of all, witnessing all these left me trying to make sense what the world has become.

Now, this is where I really get personal- the ten months of hiatus from working fulltime. It wasn’t easy but neither was it so hard. I learned to appreciate my precious time. It was just the right amount of space to know what I want and learn to know about myself more. I got myself into online-writing which I still manage to do after going back fulltime now. I worked with people from Australia, Spain, Canada, the US, Japan and God knows where the others from. I played the guitar more. I found myself singing lots of country music and loving country singers like Lady Antebellum, Brittini Black, and Tift Meritt. Oh, those country songs—“Love is Another Country”, “Life is Good”, “Be Brave”, etc. I could sing them forever.

Connecting with Steve Jobs. I was really not a fan of this genius, visionary man until he was gone. I’ve always known though how effective he was as a speaker. How I wanted to create a presentation as amazing and superb as he did each time he would launch an Apple gadget to a worldwide audience in restless anticipation. With all that has been written about him, I started to appreciate the man not only for the modern genius CEO of Apple that he was but also as an inspiration- if only because I have a penchant for quotes and everything insightful and philosophical. I take great heart on these lines: “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” 

Out and back to the Civil Service Commission. It’s written; I knew my coterminous appointment would end on February 2, 2011. I didn’t know though, that I was going to find myself back a month before the year ends. Some plans do work out; some don’t. Some just turn out better than planned.

Coming to terms with death. I remember the passing away of a friend. Death is not an easy reality to deal with especially when something like this happens to someone you’re once shared time and life with. A friend I got to know from Singles for Christ-NB1-A Chapter. We belonged to the same batch of participants for the Life in the Spirit Seminar and entered the SFC at the same time. Learning about her death and spending a couple of nights on her wake with SFC friends brought me to realization just how uncertain and ephemeral life is. How I came to value being alive each day no matter how hard I cry or how burdensome the challenges are or how broken my heart is…We should be thankful that we still have each morning to live and breathe and love and laugh and dream and hope. So, here comes another year.

Life in blogging. I’m drawn to it. As the world turns into one connected global community, almost everyone wants to own a website. I want mine to be a blog site. It’s a startup, work-in-progress project- kind of a Personal Legend (The Alchemist). No, I am not trying to be like the writer Julie Powell here whose career in writing started with her blog project. I’m being myself but how nice it would be to have the same passion and talent.

Finding my passion. Let me spell that. W-R-I-T-I-N-G. WRITING. Surprise, surprise. J Even before I realized I wanted to write, I already got into online writing through a friend who introduced me to oDesk (US-based online marketplace). I remember what my mentor-friend told me: Somehow, your passion will catch up with you.  I was searching for what I must do. Let me qualify that. What I must do that I would be happy doing. That I would find meaning doing.  I was doing a considerable amount of writing with my ten years of working in the government. The mystifying thing about it is I was never discerning that it’s going to be the very thing I see myself doing for the rest of my life. I remember writing a diary in my elementary to high school years. I remember journaling my thoughts including my short simple poems in spring notebooks in my college days. If there was one thing I was consistently doing, it has been writing down words, thoughts, wishes, dreams, hopes, favorite quotes, and well, love and life.

So, it’s true. My passion did catch up with me. Five hours before the clock strikes midnight, I opt to write.