storytellers
Manila, 2 June—And just like that, we're down to the last month of the first half of the year. The rains have started and yet it's still so hot out, it's unbearable most days—the air feels solid like a soft fur coat, misplaced out of season.
For some of my friends, this weekend presents a good pause point to think about the weeks behind us, and about the weeks ahead. Not really the halfway point of the year yet—that's coming July 1st—but still a good time as any, as the summer melts into the rainy season, and the schoolchildren go back to the classrooms.
They have inspired me to work on some of my own questions. Here's what I'm working on this weekend:
* What went well (Things to be thankful for)
* What could be improved (Things to do better)
* What ate up resources (Things I spent time/money/focus on)
* Plans and Priorities for balance 2018 (Things to do/learn/make/experience)
Do you have questions you're working on this weekend? If yes, I hope you're able to answer them well. :)
Lapsed Catholic meditation
The other day, a co-worker shared what her older sister told her to comfort her and help her through tough workdays. Her sister was a deeply religious and very kind woman; she makes me wish I had an older sister. Anyway, so the advice, as expected, was grounded on their faith: About God being the Ultimate Boss who sees all our efforts and appreciates all our hard work and and will reward us at The Reckoning, etc. It was worded so sincerely that I couldn't bring myself to doubt it, as I usually did whenever faced with something Catholic and devout. It's a very rare moment that I actually asked myself, If not for this, what sort of higher belief system did I have?
Like many of my friends, I was raised Catholic, sent to a Catholic school, and hauled to Mass during Sundays. I didn't think much of it, much like the way fish don't think about water, maybe, until I got older. When I realized I was gay, I also realized just how oppressive some of the Church's stances were, especially against members of the LGBT community. That was it for me, and it's been hard reconciling everything else since.
I do, however, try my best to be there for friends who need prayers or any form of spiritual support; I recognize that sometimes it's the best form of help I could give. I envy the faithful, sometimes. I wish it was as easy to explain to others what I believe in.
The storyteller is not the story (is not the storyteller)
ANYWAY. Sorry to dump all of that on your laps just like that, so let's all veer into much juicier territory: CHISMIS.
SOCMED ROUNDUP. That very public spat between Atom Araullo and Citizen Jake director Mike de Leon. While I haven't watched Citizen Jake yet, I have a few feelings about journalism and making it about journalists, which is what MdL is accusing Atom of, right? I'm a believer of that whole, the story, not the journalist school of thought. I have always preferred writing under our section's common byline, unless specifically told otherwise. Or maybe that's just journalism for us ordinary-looking folk, eh? Hehe. Perhaps when you have nothing else to put forth, you might as well let the story/body of work speak for itself. So Atom is a good-looking media worker who likes filming real-life things. I don't think I'm in any position anyway to determine what's journalism or not where his work is concerned. Although yeah, I do kind of see what MdL's talking about hehe. Aminin, you do too :)
Rec alert: The Barbie's Cradle discography is now on Spotify.
Tell me you didn't make mixtapes for college ex-girlfriends with Barbie's Cradle songs on them. Hahaha.
You can check out the album here.
Speaking of mixtapes for ex-girlfriends:
Happy Pride!
Mnemonics & Other Stories
P399 + shipping :)