NBA-San Antonio Spurs

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Desiderata

-- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --
Not "Found in Old St. Paul's Church"! -- see below

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Teban and Lukring

Dawn was barely breaking as Lukring sat the table for their breakfast of boiled rice and fried tuyo. She have prepared the dirty laundry in a rattan hamper inside her bedroom of their small but neat nipa hut near the foothills of Mt. Tralala. She wants to reach the creek earlier than usual where she washes the laundry. Leaving the foods covered by the kitchen table, she skipped her breakfast to be there. She wants to catch glimpse of the man that make her days full of colored flowers and birds sing. Teban will be there by now, taking an early swim together with his carabao, getting ready for the day’s plowing in the paddies.

Teban was awake before the roosters crowed. He barely slept that night; replaying over and over the events happened the night before. He met this shy lady at a benefit dance and it made his heart beats louder than a stampede of horses. He learned from his cousin the lady’s name was Lukring and she was a neighbor, who lives only a few blocks away. His cousin told him that she washes her laundry at the creek by the big rock near a bamboo clump. He was too shy to ask her to dance, so he might try meeting her in a different way.

Teban was already there when Lukring arrived. Pretending not to notice, she laid the hamper down by the wooden board to prepare her laundry, sat on a small upturned powdered milk can which she will use as dipper and soap holder, and began to wash.

Teban thought she did not notice him on the other side, despite his splashing the carabao noisily. He gathered his mighty courage and riding high on the carabao’s back, he heads valiantly for the lady of his dreams.

Lukring’s heart was beating fast as her knight in shining armor approaches. What could this handsome Lochinvar ask? How would she reply? Could she even utter a sound in her trembling lips? Could she ever tell these butterflies in her stomach to stay calm? As soon as Teban reaches the washing platform, he dismounted and asked her. “Umm… aaaah… aaaaahh…” while doing the hand sign “Can I help you do the laundry?”, and all Lukring could say is smile shyly and nod her head in agreement. They washed together silently for hours until they finished all the clothes and rinsed them with clean water.

Lukring put all the clothes back at the hamper and prepared for home. Teban stood up first and hand her her crutch. He tied the carabao, carried the hamper for her as they walked home together hand in hand.

People say that love is blind.....Yet who needs eyes to feel the passion and pleasure that love unfolds.

True love doesn't need words, true love can speak for itself.

Disabled? or Physically Challenged?

Yesterday, as I was basking in the afternoon sun, resting my tired eyes by watching pretty girls passing by, children shouting and playing, having fun, I noticed three people walking, stopping by house to house. As they got near, I found out they were beggars. One is walking with the aid of a pair of crutches, the two tugging behind looked dirty and greasy, one with a knapsack bag on his back. Approaching and seeing me in a wheelchair, they decided to just pass by me... without even asking me anything. They must have thought, "oh, another cripple!".

They are lucky they pass on me. I have already prepared my usual tongue lashing sermon. They looked very healthy to me. The man in crutches can even walk as fast at a normal pace despite one of his leg is shorter than the other. Where are the dignity of these people? They are using their slight physical deformity as bait to lure precious, hard-earned pesos from generous and kind citizens. I think they can be more productive in some ways other than begging. We have only one life, and we have to spend each day as it were the last. Its time to do something nice to be remembered at and not the opposite.

Mangaligo sa Dagat

This photo was taken at a beach in Tinago, Buenavista our favorite family picnic venue. Our usual baon consists of pansit, boiled kamote, kinilaw, sinugba, pepsi and a half-gallon tuba nga bahal...

Pa-KODAK sa plaza

This photo was taken when we have just attended Sunday mass in front of Jose Rizal monument at the Rizal Park in our hometown, Butuan City way back in the early '70's. There are only four of us yet then..

We'll buy popcorn and ate halo-halo and banana cake at Betia's from then..