Verbal Scratchpad

Isang nakakatuwang pangyayari na ang aking bunsong kapatid ay naglathala na ng sarili niyang blog. Ito ay marahil sa matinding pagkakabagot karagdagan pa ang pangungulit na ginawa ko sa kanya na gumawa ng mas produktibong bagay habang naka-internet.

Ayon sa una niyang isinulat, nais niyang sumulat halintulad sa pagsulat ko. Subalit siya ay nangangamba na maubusan daw ng Ingles. Ganun pa man, ang una nyang panunulat ay karaniwan na sa mga nagsisimula sa ganitong adhikain. Batid ko na datapwa't tinitingala ako ng aking bunso sa lathalaing banyaga, sa sarili kong pananaw, hindi pa sapat ang aking kakayahan.
Una, nais kong sumulat na mabilis. Pangalawa, ang pagsasalin sa sulatin ng nilalaman ng aking isipan at damdamin sa isang maliwanag na pamamaraan na walang patlang o pagtigil. At higit sa lahat, maihatid sa mga tagapagbasa ang samut-saring paksa ng buong kulay, detalye at walang paligoy-ligoy.

Ang pagsusulat ay libangan ko laban sa pagkaka-inip sa tuwing may kawalan ng gawain. Pangalawa ito sa pagpapalipas ko ng oras sa harap ng telebisyon.

Ang pagsusulat ang pangalawang paraan upang mahasa ang aking isipan sumunod sa pagbabasa. Ang ikatlong pamamaraan ay ang pagiging aktibo ko sa mga pagbibigay solusyon sa mga palaisipan. Mahalaga din ang pakikipagtunggali sa iba't-ibang laro, pisikal man o mental, ito ay maituturing na ehersisyo para sa isipan. Ang pakikinig ng sermon sa misa o kaya'y sa pananalita ng ibang tao (mga reporter, TV hosts, at iba pa) at ang pagpataw ng sariling kuro-kuro hinggil sa mga kanilang sinabi ay nakakatulong din.

Sa pagtatapos, ikinagagalak ko ang sinimulan ng aking kapatid. Nais kong masanay siya sa pagsusulat ng may laman at kabuluhan, may karampatang diin at makulay na pagsasabuhay ng kanyang isipan.

Eto ako, halintulad sa pangamba ng kapatid ko. Kung ang takot niya ay hinggil sa pagiging kapos sa pananalitang Ingles, ako, eto tila yata naubusan ng salita sa sariling wika. :-(

Para sa inyong kaalaman, sa asignaturang Filipino ako bumagsak sa pagsusulit ko sa NCEE at PUPCET. Nakakahiya... :-(

50% One-Year-Old

Dearest Dedric Shawn,

I know you are incapable of reading yet. I love you so much and I am so happy having you. And I have regarded your smiles and your coos as your affirmation that you believe this fact.

You are six months now. I wish that you would remain eager to learn new things and be wary of things that could pull you down or harm you. If in doubt, ask first. Do ask for several opinions from different people you trust before you decide. From those, choose your path. As with trust, trust others sparingly. Not all who wear friendly faces are worth your trust. Trust yourself above all, next to the Supreme Being, but be wary of trusting yourself too much. You may be wrong sometimes.

And in times you get amiss and cause hurt, apologize. If your apology fall on deaf ears, rather be mute. If others wrong you, let them be but once or twice. Should a third occur, forgive. But stay out of the wrongdoer's presence thereafter if you can. Prolonging your stay with these kinds of people may cause you to inherit their worthlessness. If you can't, stay still. Snakes bite when they feel threathened.

Stay happy son. Dont let shallow half-truths and disappointments ruin your happy outlook. In sorrow, find whatever optimism there is and the weight of such sadness shall in no time become negligible.

As with dreaming, dream as much as you can. Base your dreams on feasible things first. After which, if you have mastered accomplishing feasible dreams, then you can conceive of more complex dreams.

For every success you gain, remain on the ground. Some people brag so much of their accomplishments and fill their heads with air. So much air makes them float, and yes they become more conspicuous. As such, many would dare to dislodge you of that position. For every chance that they could hole you down, they would do so gradually. And by that time, you shall fall. Falling is painful son. Float if you must, but take heed that even birds take their time to rest on trees - their ground.

I understand that if I continue, this will become a boring litany. So let me leave you a poem I have learned during grade school. I have posted this a long time ago in a different site, but nonetheless, let me repost so that you may memorize this by heart and make it your guideline as you grow up.

Like the Narra
Forgot the author. :-(

My son, behold this narra tree
Now reaching up to the sky
Three years ago it was so small
I thought that it would die.

Father, how can I grow like the narra,
Upright and very tall?
You need to play outdoors my child
And rise from every fall.

For every day you need good food
And fresh clean milk my son.
You need to laugh, and work and play
And sleep when day is done.

Refrain from drugs that dull the mind
And hate that numbs the heart
Refrain from wine and smoke my child
And health will do its part.

No angry words should pass your lips
No frown shall mark your face
Believe in truth and do no wrong
And God will bless your days.

And like the narra you shall grow
Upright and very tall
Unafraid of wind, rain or storm
A strong and gallant soul.

Your imperfect father who loves you so much,

rbolsqp