Under A Pen Name

Why do I feel like writing under a pen name? Well, basically, not for the thrill. It's for the paranoia. *chuckles

If you noticed, there are also fictional characters for Facebook accounts. Why? Well, I'd like to think they are as paranoid as me.

I love the thought of people not knowing me. It gives me the freedom and comfort of writing just about anything - sometimes to the point of just blabbering. It gives me a dose of happiness that my write-ups are read by people I barely know and I'm not being judged by my opinions, because after all, I am entitled to opinion in as much as anyone is.

2013, I decided to create this blog and dreamt to write anything under the sun. Afraid of being judged by people, I thought to choose a pen name. Random pinay. Well, truly, I am one random Pinay. You go to the Philippines and ask around my name, people will go "er, sorry, who?", or "Pasenya na po. Hindi ko po sya kilala".

Basically, I am no one. Like my first ever post in this blog, I am no "It" girl and three years later, gaaaah, nothing changed. 😂
(For a second, I got alarmed that nothing changed. Lol) I am the same person who started this blog, went dormant then active again. Well, probably, a little stronger and bolder.

Life taught me that when you go out naked (not literally), there are only two things that will happen: people will either accept you or judge you. Every person goes through mess and I don't understand, but people, they sense happiness and carefree aura and they just..knock you off. Sometimes, you bear them and say, whatever. But sometimes, you get weakened and they get through you and you just.... fall.

So yeah, I have fears. Haha fear of rejection, fear of..basically, rejection. Who wants to be rejected anyway? 😂😄 So I pour my soul into this blog and I just feel so alive under my pen name.

And I guess, people really don't care who's under the pen name. Because once people do, they start reading behind the articles, they start connecting it with personal life, values, etc. I just want them to read a book without knowing the life of the author, like when we read Harry Potter or LOTR or MockingJay - we just care about the book.

So I'm writing under a pen name, not to sound overly dramatic but to compensate my overly paranoid being. I write under a pen name, maybe because, ok fine, maybe I'm thinking big in the future - like this will get mainstream and people would want to know who's under the pen name. But hopefully, by that time, people won't judge me because they've read so much and they'd think I'm worthy of a pen name.

Or maybe I'm just really paranoid. 😂😄 Whatever it is, I'm sticking with the pen name. 😉

Carpe Diem

 What is Carpe Diem?

Is it when we party like crazy? Drink all booze until drop-dead? do something really high or awkward? How about when we mountain climb or rock climb? Go surfing? Skateboarding? Extreme Biking? Or those days we finally decided to take that bungee jump or skydive?

Sometimes we look at FB photos and we envy travellers for seizing the days – not even just one day. But is seizing the day only associated with lavish travels? Or tickets to fancy festivals and posh bars? What about the everyday routines?

I believe Carpe Diem is anything that will make us feel alive without the need of spending big – drinking a cup of coffee or tea at home, perhaps, reading good books, or watching great movies or sunsets with our love ones. Or it could be our everyday favourite moments: laughing with friends, playing with kids, running with our dogs, feeling the waves, smelling the flowers, or soaking in the rain. Or those times we become selfless – painting smiles with others, teaching street kids, taking care of the olds, etc.

http://v-i-v-a-l-a-vida.tumblr.com/

Carpe Diem doesn't have to be expensive. As we grow older, we realize that those little moments and those laidback times are those moments that really capture our hearts and make us feel alive; that seizing the day is choosing happiness and joy in spite of - when we choose to smile when others give us all the reasons to frown, and when we choose to laugh when others give us all the reasons to cry.

Small things and simple moments, these make up our lives. These are things that we often overlook but when we look back to these moments, these are those that truly paint a smile on our faces.

Seizing the day is claiming that truly, these are our moments – no matter how grand or small the moment. It is a celebration of life. It's finding happiness even in the little things. Carpe Diem is claiming each moment to be "our" moments.

Responsible Childhood

There’s responsible parenthood. Is there also responsible childhood?

The moment we yelled out loud to signal our coming into this world, the world’s eyes were fixed on us. The first moments we uttered the words “Mama”or “Papa” or made our first stand, the world was all about us. Until we reached graduation and got that college diploma, eyes and all focus of all focuses were on us.

But I don’t get how most of us continue to depend on our parents even after we march the graduation halls. We’re not parasites, are we?

I graduated 2009, took the board exam and had my license before that same year ended. April 2010, I started working and lo and behold, I never asked a penny from my parents (aside from our mutual understanding on the first three months of lodge rental). How did I manage? I simply told myself, “I am independent.”

Isn’t it such a fulfilling feeling to have bought things from your own earnings? to have travelled using your own savings? What kind of joy is it to ask money from parents? I can’t even remember the last time I asked money from my Dad.

Sometimes I look at FB photos and I pity the parents. My empathy goes to the parents of young lads enjoying their selfies at Starbucks or LaBoracay or their hangover from the pool palace, etc.

For students, be cautious with your spending.

For bum graduates since birth, get a job.

For employed children, be independent and if earnings permit, share at home. Give back what the world has given you. Give back to the people who made you reach wherever peak you are at right now.

There is childhood. And there is growing up. Be a responsible grown-up.