After a three-year hiatus, I’m back in Negros and back to writing again. First off, let me thank Ms. Marchel Espina, Sunstar Bacolod’s editor-in-chief, for giving me space again to share my take on issues that beset our community and our country as a whole.

Allow me to write a lighter read for this comeback piece as my writing skills have gotten quite rusty and my creative juices are yet to be unleashed.

You see, in my younger days, I was pretty bold and fearless with my opinions and so the old title of my column “Against The Current” was also quite reflective of how I expressed my thoughts back then. But lately, I noticed how careful and calculating I have been with my posts on social media, far from my no-holds-barred take on things.

I must have reached this age where there are now more grey areas than black and white. And that the complexities of every situation can no longer be simplified into right or wrong.

Gone were the days when I was always unflinching as I held on to my non-negotiables. Even with my engagements with corporations and agencies, I am now more tamed as I learned to bend the rules and navigate imperfect systems plagued with power play and injustice. Surely, my old column name would no longer represent my new tune, thus this new column name, “On the Road with Doh,” that signifies my being a traveler and a continuous learner of life and living.

However, as I wear a wider lens in seeing things, let it not be construed as me having no backbone or losing my foundation.

Just because the stars are unreachable does not mean I have given up reaching out to them. My principles, my so-called stars, will remain my guiding points as I navigate this world and I will continue to focus on them regardless of whether I arrive at my destination or not.

My point is, I still have my non-negotiables amidst being old, kinder, and gentler. They remain my basis for making decisions. But I am also recognizing human tendencies and shortcomings, not to justify an action but to better understand the situation.

And so I am embracing my newfound role as someone who is continuously on the road to witness life unfolding. But don’t get me wrong, when push comes to shove, I can be ruthless with my truths too as I always was. That is what's nice about truths, they are ruthless and they can withstand all power plays.*

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