Dark is the night, I can weather the storm
Never say die, I’ve been down this road before
I’ll never quit, I’ll never lay down
See I promised myself that I’ll never let me down
Looking back, it was a sports-driven invitation that started it all. He was a welcome addition and how he seamlessly flowed into our newfound ensemble is not surprising at all. He brought his own brand of wisecracks and humor. Not to mention the remarkable stories that brought new meaning to “sharing of experiences”. His childhood stories alone can trump the Adventures of Tom Sawyer by a mile.
What followed was a roller-coaster ride (literally and figuratively) and the subsequent beautiful disasters that changed the color of our world. In such times when egotism, immaturity and misconceptions played a mitigating role, we were forced to define the proper meaning of sincerity, sensibility and reciprocal alliance.
And if I fall, I’ll never fail
I’ll just get up and try again
I’ll never quit, I’ll never go down
I’ll make sure they remember my name
A hundred years from now
Some fondly call him lolo or manong because he is older than most of us (and he would rebut this by proving that his age doesn’t show). His magnetic charm comes from his ready metallic smile, the expressive eyes and the way he makes you comfortable in his presence. He has a hatful of talents: from singing, to performing magic tricks…to perfecting the art of prognostication (a direct result of his ka-praningan). Another J stamp: for sure you will know if he has arrived (how?…use your nose).
Like a true-blue Gemini, he can have a split personality: one time he will be all ruckus and hilarity, and the next breath he will be coy and serious (pag meeting para yang studious Grade 3 student). Be warned because like a reluctant lawyer, he can be argumentative at times and he will go to the ends of the earth to prove that he is correct (ok, I will concede that he is correct most of the time…birthday nya kasi). Kidding aside, he often knows the right words to say. Forget the stutter, he is great storyteller and verbal chronicler of events. If my blogs are ever to be made into audiofiles, I’ll get him as narrator.
Please don’t worry about me, I’m fine
Only gonna play the fool one time
On a serious note, it was the challenging moments that drew our inner circle. I witnessed how life dealt him some blows and how he rolled with the punches. I’ve seen him shake off the stigma that clings to him like an unforgiving omen. To some people he may seem happy-go-lucky with his child-like zest for fun. But that is not to say that he is not tainted and bruised, for I have seen his life wounds. And this makes him more real, as a person. He exemplifies how you cannot put a good man down.
While I am mentor to him on “occupational hazards”, he plays big brother to me on the personal level. He is the Pacey to my Dawson, the Ryan to my Seth. We have more than the fair share of common philosophy and the way of looking at things. Wavelength, if you may call it. Like a language of our own, we can communicate through non-verbal clues or even in riddles. Plus, he has a seer-like ability of knowing what I am thinking or finishing off my sentences.
In a world that if often rocked by changes, it is the unexplainable “balancing act” that works for us. While I am stringent and staid, he would blur the edges with his trademark banter and exuberance.
I’m not scared to fly, I’m not that naïve
I’m just out to find the better part of me
I’ve been told many times before that I have to work hard and play harder. But it was only he who showed me how. His infectious inner child and inner smile made me reconnect with own and consequently, I learned how to enjoy the experience. He is patient enough to give me directions (both literally and figuratively) or point out my mistakes, that I am more confident now with my personal roadmap.
I’ve said that I am not a fan of grandiose displays of appreciation. For me, it’s the little things and consistency that matters the most. And he has transcended this time and again. He has done more and impacted me more that some of the people that have walked in my life longer (but never understood the meaning of reciprocity). I can never appreciate him enough for it.
Happy birthday, J! For someone who torments me for not blogging enough, I hope this blog was worth the wait. I don’t have to say what my wishes are for you. I will just be there when they do come true.
It may sound absurd but won’t you concede
Even heroes have the right to bleed
And it’s not easy to be me
***
Ten Things You Might Not Know About J
(subtitle: I Hope He Does Not Kill Me For This)
1. He has acrophobia and a bit of insomnia.
2. He calls his car PNV – Paa Ni Voltes V.
3. He can be dorky…he knows a lot of trivia stuff and likes answering trivia/mind games.
4. Once he gets to like a particular song, he will put it on repeat mode until he learns all the lyrics (currently memorizing Neyo’s Go On Girl).
5. His shaking can get so bad and his gulat expressions are so cinematic.
6. He likes to scare himself…tapos mandadamay pa!
7. He has a killer falsetto but his trademark videoke songs are the Kalapana hits.
8. He has three alarm clocks that sound off minutes apart (so he knows he has to get up when the third alarm sounds).
9. He sweats profusely when eating spicy foods and loves to dare people into eating the sili.
10. He misplaces stuff (one time, he lost the car key seconds after opening the trunk!). Warning: this virus of his can be contagious.