15 THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I REACH 60

In a few hours, I will be celebrating my 45th birthday. And as usual, no fanfare nor celebration is in the offing. I don't feel like preparing big banquets to celebrate my natal day. Especially if I've been doing it for the past 44 years. A simple visit to the church to thank God for another year and ask for another year of lease will do. Plus, perhaps, one special meal for me. I was thinking of chami, but I just can't get the right concoction. So 1 whole pizza will do, preferably Shakey's Garlic and Cheese and perhaps a spaghetti platter and chicken. But before I lose my track, this blog is about my earnest desire of things I want to do before I reach 60. So roughly, I have fifteen years to do all of these stuff but I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I can hit it all before d-day.


1. A VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND. I wasn't formally introduced to my religion in my younger life. All I remember is the mandatory Angelus at 6:00 pm. I wasn't educated in a Catholic school from Grade 3 to high school, so Religion is not really a required subject back then. When I entered Sacred Heart for college, I was re-introduced to my religion. I have seen various episodes of the Holy Land tour, including pictures from friends. And this gave me all the desire to visit the land where Jesus walked, lived, breathed, preached, and offered His life for our Salvation. I have always thought that when I reached the Holy Land, I am ready to die.


2. MAKE A PIZZA FROM SCRATCH. I have always loved pizza. Be it from the greasy kind toasted on makeshift oven at some corner to the authentic Italian kind. There was a time when Shakey's pantry is made of glass and you can see the chef tossing and throwing the dough up in the air. That, I want to do. But they've enclosed that part of their resto, perhaps they are hiding something now. Or their commissary is where it is all prepared. But nonetheless, I want to build my own brick oven, with real firewood for that different taste and feel. and dump all my fave toppings on my pizza. I want it topped with Chami, Kwekwek, talabing, crispy pata, andoks chicken, arroz valenciana, macaroni salad, J&J V-Cut, McDo Twister fries and a lot more. But before this blog turns into an Epic Meal episode, I have to move on.


3. WORK AT GIFT WRAPPING SECTION OF STORES. I never marvel at gifts daintily wrapped in a whole cornucopia of colors, designs and ribbons. I admire people who give extra effort in wrapping their gifts. But what delights me is to see what kind of gift is hidden inside. By being a gift wrapping personnel (or whatever they call that position), I will know its content before the gift recipient even set his hands on those gifts. I will also know who spend so much on gifts, and who is kuripot. 


4. WATCH ALL THE CLASSIC PINOY FILM. Back then when the Philippine movie industry is young, it churned out all the best movies, some of which I haven't seen. Back then movies  were raw, no special effects, superb story line and great acting. These are the movies I want to watch: Anak-Dalita, 48 Oras, Agila, Biyaya ng Lupa, Ibulong mo sa Hangin, Itim, Kundiman ng Lahi, Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag, Pagdating sa Dulo, Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo, Tinimbang ka Ngunit Kulang, Tubog sa Ginto. Most of these films are lost into oblivion, but I hope that in fifteen years, a copy will surface maybe in cyberspace.


5. A HOLIDAY FOR MY ENTIRE FAMILY. I have often dreamed of this, where the whole family up to third degree of consanguinity will tour the whole world together. It will be blast discovering new things and places with your family. It will be an event of a lifetime. And I want to change the family tradition where we only become whole when someone passes away. This time I want the reunion to be fun, fun, fun.


6-11. KNOW AND PERFECT THESE RECIPES. Some of my favorite food are those found in fast food joints. I know those of you who are health conscious will frown at me but their taste is just heavenly and "to die for" literally. However, if I have my way, I want to prepare the following food healthily: Twister Fries ( I want to know what secret is hidden behind these fries), McDo Crispy Chicken (I always wanted to know where they dredge their chicken, I tried those prepared breading and I just can't get that taste), Plaza Food Chami (this is my ultimate fave of all time, sometimes when I eat there, I get this plan to barge into their kitchen and demand for the recipe), Mang Bert's Crispy Pata (this to die for food is not only delicious but the meat is so tender you will not notice it's pork hind), Papa's Arroz Valenciana (I really miss this one, often prepared during Christmas and New Year only, I want to someday perfect this one so I can continue the tradition), Mama's Chicken Macaroni Salad (This is the only memory of how delicious my mother cooks, to this day, I am yearning for that taste. I've tasted all available macaroni salad I can get my hands and tummy on but none comes close to my mother's macaroni salad. Rumor has it that she uses her bare hands in mixing it up, owing to that distinct taste).


12. REUNITE WITH LONG LOST FRIENDS. Although Facebook already has done it in parts, what I want to do is to be physically reunited to my long lost friends. My life has been in chapters and in every chapter, I met and became close with so many people. But because of events that separated us, we never got a chance to be physically together and reminisce those bygone days. So paging all my classmate buddies in elementary, high school, college, at PCIBank, at Caltex, let's get together some time.


13. VISIT ALL THE 70+ PHILIPPINE PROVINCES. I don't want to be a stranger in my own land. Thus this is one of my obsessions. Out of the 70+ provinces, I think I have only been to less than 10. The Philippines is such a beautiful country and it pains me to only see its beauty through pictures and videos.


14.  LEARN TO PLAY AT LEAST ONE INSTRUMENT. I have always been a music lover. I cannot work well without a background music. I know I sing well (at least to my knowledge, especially when the spirit of the alcohol is hounding me), but what I want to do is play the music I want to sing. Thus, this obsession to learn to play at least one instrument has been hounding me ever since. There was a period when I want to learn to play the sax, because it sexy. Then came the guitar, but I can't memorize the keys. Then the keyboard, but I think I am tone deaf that I just cannot hit the right tune. Maybe I can just concentrate on cymbals, triangle or if I can hit the beat, the drums.


15. FIND MY OWN "HAPPY PLACE". I am always on the move, I move from place to place (courtesy of Joe Mari Chan), but I believe everyone deserves to have his own "happy place". A place where you are who you are. You can forget all the drudgery and topsy turvy that we call life. If I can only see that place, maybe I can retire there and be free of all the hustles and bustles of daily living. I was thinking of going to the Trappist Monks, once when I was 27 years old. But work again took away that interest. Perhaps that's not my happy place. But I hope that before I hit 60, that happy place is waiting for me and be treated as my permanent home and reverse the nomadic life I am enduring.

THAT DAY

At around 12 midnight tonight will mark the time when a major life-changing event completely altered my life. It was at that time when the dreaded accident happened. What was supposed to be a quick trip to a nearby store became a nightmare that tested my strength and faith in God, assured me that I have a family who will stand by me no matter what, and friends who supported me all throughout.

From the initial shock of the accident, the help of San Pablo’s finest who let me use their mobile car to accompany me to the emergency room, to the mayhem at the ER, me demanding attention, me shaking all over because of the unbearable pain, me begging for a pain reliever to ease the pain, the travel to the x-ray room in the middle of the rain and occasional bumps that sent stabbing pain, the doctor giving more attention to her facebook, she reading the x-ray and telling me that there is no fracture and releasing me, me struggling to ride a tricycle back to my place, me being carried into my home and my bed. That night will be considered my longest night of indescribable pain.

The next two months passed by with only one thing on my mind, to get back on my feet as soon as possible. I spent my 44^th birthday alone, in bed. Some friends visited me and brought some food.  My only solace then was my phone and facebook. I was alone from morning till night without anyone to talk to and answer to all my needs. And facebook kept me company. Two months in bed, with the scheduled therapy every other day, passed by so quickly.  Christmas came and went, it was the first time I spent Christmas alone.

The news that made my entire world come crumbling down was when I heard another doctor’s diagnosis, I have a broken femur. The news came before New Year’s eve, and I spent all day and night crying. I asked God for help, I don’t know who to ask for help, my coffer is drained, and I need an operation.

Then the miracles happened.

Help from my family came pouring in. I went to Lucena for further test. It was suggested that I be admitted at the Philippine Orthopedic Center, where I stayed for fifteen days. The first night was hard. It was my first time in a hospital.  With no available room, I was confined in a ward. At night, I got awakened by other patient’s cries of pain. Patients who can’t afford to buy medicines for their pain. There I experienced how it feels to be like in a zoo, with streams of nursing students coming and going gawking at you like you are some kind of animal. There I experienced scheduled bathroom privilege, being awakened at 5 in the morning by the head nurse, the heat, the scent and sight of rotting flesh as it is being cleansed, and guards who make you feel like a prisoner. But I was not complaining. It was an experience worth cherishing and my hope was high as I was waiting for my date with the knife.

Unexpected turn of events made me aware that this is one episode in my life I can call a miracle. The surgery was cancelled, a few minutes after I called the supplier of the hip screw, a day later I was released.

The remaining months ensued with frequent trips to the therapist and monthly checkup as I slowly gained my mobility. From wheel chair to two crutches, to one crutch, to walking stick, I slowly saw the progression.

Today, as I look back at that night, I can proudly say, that I won that battle.  I understood what the Lord God wants me to learn. I am no Job, I am not there yet.  But I know in my heart that God loves me, that He only wanted the best for me. That all those delays, misdiagnosis, and cancelled surgery has a reason.

The journey continues. I know I can get there someday, I am not in a hurry. But the fact that I can get there walking, unscarred by surgery, and with stronger faith in Him and love and support of my family and friends.

That night, may have scarred me physically, with walking stick all my life to boot. But it also made me stronger. He made me stronger.

Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. - Jeremiah 17:14