Sunday, November 05, 2006
Estremera: November says boo!
By Stella A. Estremera
Spider's Web
FACING the computer monitor, writing some articles for the science and technology page, I glanced at the calendar to check what date the article should be saved as and muttered, "Darn, it's Thursday again tomorrow..."
Thursday should be a good day, after all, it's my day off. Thus, there shouldn't be any reason for me to rue that Thursday is coming. That is if you're taking it from that very moment I said, "Darn, it's Thursday again tomorrow..."
But that was last week... the week before that, in an almost same pose (humped over the computer keyboard, trying to weed out some articles to write from a very tired brain), I looked up the calendar to check what date the article should be saved as and said, "Yippeee! Thursday na bukas!"
Where lies the difference in greeting the day? In the calendar and very reent memory, that is. In a quirky coincidence that I still have to figure out, those were the only two times I had to look up at the calendar to check the date throughout that whole week that separated those two Thursdays. Meaning... time has flown and I wasn't even looking... November has moved in... and even before I could relish the hot noonday sun that's typical of Todos Los Santos, it's now the 5th, and tomorrow will be the 6th and... one more week has passed, another Thursday is coming.
Looking up at what I have written so far this time, a vague memory tickled for recognition. The title looked familiar, I've written a similar title before, maybe several years ago, maybe just last year, I'm not so sure, but if my forty-ish memory wasn't failing me this time, it was December that was saying "boo!" then.
Well, I don't have to wait long. If November keeps up with its pace, as all other months did, then December will be sneaking up on me pretty soon. In my calendar, that will just be four Thursdays from now. It doesn't help that those late evening news anchors would be announcing the countdown to Christmas everytime they close the show. That they are saying this with a wide grin on their faces have long tempted me to hit their Vicky Belo-treated faces. For them to remind me that it's just over a month now before Christmas seem to be taunting me to hurry up. (Wait till I get my hands on their necks...)
Forced to admit that another year is zooming past, I consoled myself by thinking back to what I have done so far and I wasn't disappointed. For someone with much work to do to earn a living, I've managed to do a lot more in life. Little gains yes, but substantial and soul-lightening.
This short moment of reminiscing the very recent past brought me to a meeting I invited myself in last week. The issues being discussed were valid, the concerns as well, but somehow there was something wrong...
I pondered on it right at that very meeting and realized what. The concern was pushing the participants to demand for the sun from people who are not even convinced they should have a dying star. What are we really trying to win this time? I asked. From what they've said, it wasn't even a dying star... But the impatience that was running through all of them was making them lose sight of what they have been fighting for all this time. Focus... one step at a time, that's how we win victories.
Last night I was watching television, the way I usually do... with just half my attention, somewhere from the corner of my eye as my attention is really on my laptop LCD screen, tapping my thoughts. From what I have picked up, the news magazine show was talking about these two young brothers who has an uncontrollable urge to nibble at their hands, and whatever they can get their teeth on. The story was making my stomach turn, but then that was the only show running at that late an hour and I needed that television noise in the background to keep my brains running, and so I kept it on. One young brother had actually already nibbled his tongue away and parts of his lips too, the other have stumps for fingers, and even took a nip at his mother's hand.
Thursdays, Novembers, winning dying stars, nibbling off one's tongue... everything can be done... in time. saestremera@yahoo.comFor more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pampanga. For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (November 5, 2006 issue)
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