Written Contusions

Lesson 4: A kid should not be allowed to run wild in the Antipolo area, especially within the driveways of Assumption - Antipolo.

1987 - Year 4 in the life of Rchrd.

Back in the day, my mother and father worked for a school bus company that ferried children to different prominent schools in the Philippines. My father worked as a bus driver, and my mother worked as a bus mother. Her work entailed that she took care of the kids, especially the ones that hava a habit of standing up and running around the bus while it is moving.

At that age, 4 years old, I was still sorely attached to my mother so she would usually bring me to work. Otherwise, the entire neighborhood would be woken by my loud cry at 5:00 AM. Since the job was relatively easy - she just had to really work when the kids are there - it allowed her to bring me with her.

She was assigned to a bus that took kids to Assumption - Antipolo. While waiting for the kids' dismissal time, we would often sit on the grass and have a picnic. There were also cashew trees in the vicinity of the school so we would pick the fallen fruits and play with it. However, one day, I got the impression that it was fun to run on the asphalt driveway of a downhill road. She tried to run after me, but she was too late. "Blag!" I went down on my forehead and rolled a few feet more.

That fall was monumental because I got a bump on my forehead that really protrudes from it. Even now, when I look at myself in the mirror, I can still see that bump on the right side of my forehead.

Lesson 3. Don't listen to a word that your neighbors say.

1986 - Year 3 in the life of Rchrd.

Back in 1986, I can't really remember much but I do remember two things: my sister was born on 1986 and my neighbors said so many things about her already.

They were saying, "Hala hindi ka na mahal ng Daddy mo. May iba na siyang mahal." Roughly translated, they said that I was in big trouble because my Daddy had a new kid to love; he would not love me anymore. Much of that threat became ingrained in me as I was growing up. Because of that, I bullied my sister. I used to say that she was ugly just because I really thought that she was replacing me in the hearts of my parents. It is sad to say but I was not a good big brother to my sister when we were growing up.

Looking back in time, I feel bad about it. Even though we were bitter enemies when we were kids, I now appreciate my sister in so many ways. She is one person that equalls me intellectually. We could have conversations about genetics and art in the easiest manner. Just this Sunday, we watched Harry Potter 6, and she treated because I didn't have enough budget to watch a movie.

I wouldn't have this regret if I didn't listen to my stupid -- yes they are stupid -- neighbors. Had I known what I know now, I would have taken better care of her.

The picture came from this website: http://architel.com/2008/05/01/gossip-or-networking-2/.

Since I don't really recall anything from when I was 2 years old, I can't seem to find anything relevant to tell. However, as I was thinking of an idea for my next story that will be published in The Ivory Tower, I was able to get some perspective about the whole lesson.

Usually, we forget things that are unimportant. They don't seem to have a big impact on our lives anyway. Perhaps, that's why we remember other more important things. On the other hand, we do also forget important things. They may lead to life-changing decisions like a loss of a job or a break-up with somebody. Nevertheless, in retrospect, we might not have gotten that better job or that better lover had we not forgotten that important thing. I think, it's all in how we look at things.

Some times, even though we might not recall one thing, perhaps, it is best not to. I'll leave this all up to fate and faith. Now that I've learned this lesson, I am just enjoying the ride.

The picture was taken from http://infectedsoul.deviantart.com/art/Death-Becomes-Forgetful-33805172.

Strolling through the blogosphere, I stumbled upon the blog of Cat, Quarterlife, and I encountered her "24 things i learned" post. As I am now absentmindedly biographical, I thought that I'd do the same but with a twist. I'll highlight the best lesson that I learned during each year for the 24 years that I am alive.

Here we go!

Lesson 1. Life finds a way.

1984 - Year 1 in the life of Rchrd.

When I was born, my mother said that I was colored green, didn't cry, and incurred an infection from being born postmaturely. The doctors said to her that I must have ingested some of my excretions while still in the womb. Ergo, I nearly died after being born but I am still here. I am writing this blog post, a proof that life finds a way.

The picture was taken from http://www.childrens.com/healthlibrary/healthlibcontent.cfm?pageid=p02399.

Sometimes, we can only see the beauty of things we take for granted when we change our perspective.

As I was bored out of my wits last week, I took a picture of our rafters. It was a half-hearted shot and a surprise when the picture came out really well. The over exposure of the lower left part of the picture contrasted nicely with the underexposed top right portion. The shadows were really dark and the light parts exposed the ridges of our roof.

With that first picture, I started to look around the house and tried to find other parts of the house that would look good on camera given the proper angle and perspectives.

The left middle picture, the one colored pink is my current bed spread. The right middle picture is the jalousie frame of my window. The bottom picture is of our bench in the living room. All these pictures came out really well.

However, I took the pictures with the black and white setting of my camera phone so I decided to colorize the photographs to add more appeal.

Given that I am not a professional at this, I would like to say that I am proud of these pictures because they surprised me; I always thought that our house was quite ugly and unfinished, but when I looked at it with a different perspective, I was able to appreciate its beauty.