The Story Teller

At nine years old, my youngest son, Daryl, still takes a nap when he arrives from school every day. Since he wakes up as early as 5:00am, I do believe he needs to get more sleep in the afternoon. Believe me, it’s not without  a fight because he wants to go out and play with his friends outside. So, I promise to let him out to play when he wakes up from his nap.

I’ve been a child too and I know how he feels. I remember playing hopscotch and wooden top with my friends. Though modern kids are now playing dv888 yoyo and remote controlled cars, the fun of being outside is just as enjoyable to them as it had been to me, so I always let my kids out as long as the weather permits.

Uninterested means not interested

Example:

A girl can not do anything if the guy she likes is simply uninterested.

Disinterested means fair.

Example:

Our neighbor is known for being disinterested so he is always invited to judge various contests.

Grace just came back from a long-week vacation in the province and she was so excited about the pictures that she took. She uploaded them on her Facebook account and tagged her best friend Richelle.

As soon as Richelle saw the pictures, she sent Grace a message about how cool the pictures were. She told Grace how much she liked them especially one particular picture . Richelle praised Grace’s ability to capture her subject as it is. It looked so real that she could almost touch it. The colors were vibrant, and the lighting was perfect. Just simply looking at the picture gives a person hope that everything is going to be fine.

Grace was touched and flattered. For an amateur photographer like herself, she couldn’t believe she would receive such compliments.  She didn’t know it would be that simple. She didn’t do anything special. She just pointed the camera at the direction she wanted and clicked it, and that was it.

After several days, Grace received a message from Richelle asking for her permission to use one of her pictures as the front cover of a book she was writing. Grace was so thrilled. She asked Richelle what particular picture was that and Richelle said the picture of the ‘sunset.’

Grace frowned. Richelle must be mistaken, she couldn’t remember taking a picture of the sunset. So, she asked Richelle if she was sure it was one of her pictures and Richelle said yes. Grace asked for detailed description of the picture and her friend described it until Grace finally remembered it.

“Oh, I think I know what you are talking about..”

“Oh, good! So, can I have it?”

“Of course, you can.. “

“Thank you so much.. Well, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why did it take you so long to recognize the picture?”

“Well, you see.. when I took that picture, I wasn’t actually taking the picture of the sunset. I was taking the picture of a kitten sleeping under the tree.. But I guess I’m just so bad at it that I wasn’t able to center the kitten on the frame. And I thought the sleeping kitten was so cute that I failed to notice the beautiful sunset in the background..”

The list of beautiful things is endless if only we would take some time to look around..

My mom and my aunt who arrived from the US, are getting ready for their flight to the South tomorrow morning, together with their three brothers. Another brother is waiting for them there, the proud father of a bride who is getting married on the 8th. I would really be happy to go with them, but I simply couldn’t leave my kids, especially now that we don’t have a nanny. I wish I could send the couple a gift. I know it’s common to give something they can use in the house, but I’m thinking of giving armani perfume not only for a change but also for romance, that every time they smell each other, they would remember their wedding day. Isn’t that something?

Affect is a verb which means to influence

Example: Early exposure to gadgets affects a child’s study habits.

Effect is a noun which means a change or a result, bring about

Example: The new chairman effected new policies to the homeowner’s association

As I was cleaning up the attic, I saw some of my old stuff and among them was my old organizer. My  old wallet, however, was no longer there. Several years ago, it was stolen, rather picked from my bag by a pick pocket while I was riding the train. Well, I wasn’t actually worried about the money for it only had a few bills inside, what worried me most besides my beloved SSS ID were my credit cards. If I had rfid at the time, I shouldn’t have worried much. But since I hadn’t, I did the best thing I could, I called the credit card company to report what had happened so that they could cancel the cards. Then, after a few days, I applied for a new SSS ID.

What a mess!

Lola (Grandmother) Dora lives alone in her small house in the province. It has been years since her grandson, Edgar, went to the city and except for occasional visits to her, preferred to stay in his apartment. So, Lola Dora was surprised when he suddenly came home without prior notice.

As was her usual way of handling things, she didn’t ask, instead she waited for the right time for the problem to reveal itself. However, in Edgar’s case, it seems like she would wait in vain. So, afternoon, as Edgar was lying on the old hammock between two mango trees, she took her broomstick but instead of cleaning the backyard, she stood beside the hammock and spoke.

“So, Edgar.. What can you say about that mango tree?”

Surprised, Edgar couldn’t answer right away but managed to say..

“Uhh.. It’s big..”

“Is that all?”

“Ahhh.. yes, I guess so” Edgar answered just to end the conversation.

He knew Lola Dora was onto something, but he was just not in shape to discuss about anything much less about an old mango tree. At this time, he was just simply not into anything. He was just fired from work for violating company rules, his girlfriend broke up with him when she found out he was cheating on her, his credit card debt was way up his head in addition to other bills he left unpaid.

“Well, that’s the problem with people. They only see what their eyes can reach but never what’s beyond. That mango is, you’re right, it’s big. But it’s also tall, it’s tough, it gives us shade when the sun is at its hottest, it gives us fruit, it clutters the ground every day with its leaves, it has broken branches and if you look close enough, you will see a name carved on it by a naughty boy using an old kitchen knife.”

At this, Edgar smiled genuinely..

“That mango tree is just like us, Edgar. We grow up, we grow old, we grow tough. Along the way, we meet people whom we help, we protect and we feel responsible for. But sometimes we messed things up. We might not like it sometimes but we affect other people’s lives and we hurt them even without meaning to. Then we felt broken and bruised. Sometimes, we feel altogether worthless. And the worst part, no matter what happens to us, whether we feel good or bad, the sun will rise in the morning and will set in the afternoon regardless of our worries. Time will pass by and seasons will change and there is nothing we can do but live one day at a time.

“But unlike that mango tree that bears fruits, and sheds leaves depending on the season, we have a choice. We can choose to be productive, we can choose to be happy as much as we can choose to be a bum and be miserable all our lives. The choice is ours and only ours to make..”

After that, Lola Dora started to sweep the ground. She never spoke again about the mango tree.

The following day, Edgar spent his time watching the mango tree. Lola Dora just watched from a distance and she felt that whatever was bothering her grandson will be dealt with soon.

In the morning, Edgar packed his bag and after giving Lola Dora a passionate hug, faced the problems he left behind.

Adapt vs. Adopt

Adapt means to adjust to

Example: When you work abroad, you have to adapt to the climate.

Adopt means to take as one’s own

Example: Call center agents with clients in America adopt the American accent.

I do not consider myself a zealot or something, but when it was time to enroll my eldest daughter to college, I decided to send her to the same school I went to and graduated from. For one, I am a product of that school, so I am confident about how she will turn out, and I guess I made the right decision. My daughter is doing fine there and I guess she is happy with her school, her choice of course and her new friends.

Moreover, the school has changed a lot since my time. The classrooms are air conditioned, the transactions are done online and I wouldn’t be surprised if they would have conferencing services in the future. Doesn’t that sound very nice?

Sarah and Mina are best friends since they were young. Though they don’t always agree on things, they are always able to reconcile their differences and work things out. They have different tastes on clothes, on books, on sports, on food and even on men. Obviously, what holds them together is their faith and love to each other.

One time, they talked about meeting at the mall on weekend to watch a movie. They simply agreed on the movie they were going to watch and the time they will watch it. The week went by and as they were both busy, they didn’t talk about it anymore. The weekend came and Sarah texted Mina about their plan to watch a movie. She got no reply. She dialed her friend’s number but it was out of reach. She looked at the clock, it was only two hours before their agreed time. Sarah couldn’t decide whether to go or not. But what if Mina goes? She doesn’t want to keep her friend waiting.

Reluctantly