Mainstream.

"The road less taken". We have heard it a number of times but have actually never got the courage to take that road. Unfamiliar, scary, mysterious, unheard of - some of the best words to describe it, to make it the less taken path. Yet, there is that curiosity that made us think: what if we took that road? Is it worth it? Will it be full of adventures? Where would it lead us? What would we be after?

The cold breeze of December smells of joy and festivity. Lights from Christmas decorations and moving vehicles fill the streets with liveliness. December it is and every Filipinos were busy celebrating their most anticipated season.

It was the last day of work and a lot of us were out and rushing to buy last minute Christmas needs. Taxis were not accommodating those destinations traversing EDSA because of the Christmas traffic. But one taxi driver took our request not because he was patient enough to cross EDSA nor chasing for the big fare. It was because he was to take the road less taken. He took the risk of traversing alternative roads, never sure of the traffic there, just to skip EDSA. In the end, he made us happy commuters. Away from the traffic, saving us time.

As I rode the taxi, I was a bit frightened by questions boggling my mind - Where would he take us? Does he attempt of robbing us? Will the road have light traffic? Will we pay much because of the alternative routes he took?  And I realize, in our life, in our careers, we mostly take the main road. What is mainstream. The road that you knew, many knew well, less frightening because of the familiarity. We are sure of the way, everything is familiar, mostly everyone was there and other mainstream stuffs are there. And we stay on that road, though it is slow and congested, though boring, because we are certain that after a long time of waiting, we will reach the end. We never got the courage to take the road less taken, where we have to risk the certainty to something unknown - something successful? Or a failure, maybe? We never want to move fast, to be adaptable to the ever changing environment, to continuously learn and to spend a lot of energy to take the small roads that will equally take us to that end. We never changed our mindset to think that what is important is not the end but the experience itself. We never had the heart to say yes to that curious mind seeking adventure. And we never had the strength to move away from our comfort zone and live fully.

Extreme.

Last Saturday, we have gone mountain hiking in Mountain Sembrano in Rizal, Laguna. The experience was totally exhausting but fun, brought by the rocky and steep road. Going up for me was a lot easier than going down, because in order to push myself upward I only have to find some rocks to cling on and use my crying aching legs. Going downward was a bit harder since I have to defy gravity and use mostly my ankle as break. Add the pressure of sliding down because of the mud and my ingrown nail.

To make the long story short, the feeling was unforgettable - the longing for the road to end when you are already near the summit; the victory when you are already on the top; the peace of mind when hearing the wind whisper and the clouds dance; the feeling of cursing the rocky, muddy road on the way down; the hopelessness feeling that you have to scrap out because you have no choice;the feeling of crying inside that you made it; the joy of washing yourself and bring your tired body to bed. It was extreme. It was something that you will miss. It was something that you constantly need and have to savour because it will remind you that it is the long road ahead that makes the end succinct.

Turning Tables.

There are points in the span of our time when every angle of our life - career, relationship, financial stability, seems not taking into place. Not fitting into the puzzle. Blurred.We curse our situation and fell deep into that dark feeling of hopelessness. I have felt that and I know sometime in the future, I will again step into that grieving phase. Repeatedly. That is why I want to take note of the phrase "Turning table". It's my strengthening phrase to remind me that: first, it is alright. I recognize the situation and I understand that it is part of life. It awakens us that there is something wrong and there is something we need to correct. Secondly, it is fine to fell into that lonely feeling and to agonize. Thirdly, be sad, cry one long night but do not dwell into that dark place. Let it be your inspiration to start from scratch and move on. You have the power to turn the table and make something out of your situation. It is not easy but know that you have to move on. Life is like climbing a mountain, you never knew what's on top, but you have the choice to keep climbing upward to see the top, to conquer on another mountain or you will stay on place and let fear hinder you from discovering what lies ahead.

Road.

This June, commuting has become a hard task as traffic has visited again as school year begun and summer has yet to bring you scorching heat. One workday morning, I asked myself -  If given the chance to become a politician how will I re-design the road system here or ease the traffic each of us deals with everyday? I took noticed of the structures as the bus I rode passes by my daily route: Dela Rosa to Buendia and finally, Mall of Asia. It was hard to re-design structures that are already built and are designed poorly, not envisioning the future, the increase in vehicle load as time passes by. Then I think of what Henry Sy did. He transformed a water area into an extension land and built upon it the Mall of Asia Complex. Thankfully, the road system design is good enough to hold the current vehicle load. And so I thought why not create things from scratch and design it in your own way, remembering that when building from scratch, not just design for the present, vision what will happen also in the future.

Freedom.

Four times a week, I used to ride a multicab (mini version of a jeepney) along Buendia to get to Mall of Asia. Morning and evening, four times a week, I am still amused by the barker-commuter problem. What is it? Guess I'll just say - having too much freedom.

As I have said earlier, the multicab is a mini version of a jeepney that can  accommodate sixteen passengers. Since it is small, aside from the heat the commuters need to deal with, going in and out of the cab is a plus plus adventure. Hence,  passengers chose to fill in the seat near the end and bring forth the barker-commuter problem. Because people wants to fill in first the seats near the end, most of the time, the cab won't be filled because the available seats are those near the driver and no one wants it there. The result - barkers get mad since the rest of the passenger will go to the next cab and the first cab can't go on with its route. That is the problem with giving a person too much freedom. Yes, we have individual needs and wants, we do not want the heat and the hassle of going in/out of the cab and we have a choice to fill that want. But if that freedom just fills our personal whims and become unreasonable hindering the welfare of the general whole, it is not good anymore. 

Freedom is a privilege for us individuals but we should not abuse it just for the sake of filling our personal whims. We are part of a community and the sum of our individual freedom should result  for the benefit of the community we are in.

Simplicity.

Just days after I booked my first airplane ride to Bohol, I have always searched online for special activities to do there, special foods to eats and special pasalubongs to buy. The word 'special' never leaves the Google search box. Just after I took my 2 day worth of vacation, I realized that often, we fail to find beauty in simplicity. That is why we are always seeking for the special, something new, making our life complex and unfulfilled. During my stay in Bohol, I certainly have enjoyed its charm and beauty through - seating back in the car seat and just feeling the fresh air blew, seeing how nature molded the Chocolate Hills, having my eyes closed while sitting in the duyan and hearing the night noise, walking through the city's market and seeing it's everyday life, riding the jeepney/tricycle and talking to its natives. Ordinary things that makes it beautiful.

Dreams.

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly." - Langston Hughes

A childhood full of dreams. To become a doctor. To become a soldier. To fly up in the sky. The kind of dream where impossibility has no room, only imagination and aspiration. As we grow, as we engaged more in the world, as we collect more problems and responsibility, did we grasp on our ability to dream? Have we retain the same sparkling eyes of  childhood?

Remember: Dreams creates aspiration. Aspiration sparks passion. Passion drives determination and hard work. Passion burns  a fire that makes life interesting and worth living. A fire money can't cease. Live your life by living your dreams. Spark your eyes with pure wonder that no one could steal. In contrary, let them be inspired by it.

For Him II.

I look up and I remember how I felt about you,
The stars reminded me.
The day has gone by and I forgot how did it go.
I just stared and felt certainty to something huge and amazing, something unknown. Just like my love for you.
And no matter how many days passed,
how many things have changed, when I look up,
I would always feel that way, just like how I felt about you.

Leadership.

Leaders aren't born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.

-Vince Lombardi

We often admire those people who can stand up, bring about change and lead. It was not because they are born to be a leader. It was not because certain chemicals in their genes carry such characteristics. It is because they chose to be brave enough and take the risk to stand firm in their beliefs, to influence others and be subject to criticisms in doing such. They are just a bit bolder in crossing the line between being selfish and being the man for the welfare of others.