stolen sanity

In my pursuit to win back your attention, I have gained but only nothing.I have scavenged everything about you hoping that we could still get connected with each other but I was just drowned by my own fantasy. The days have slowly swayed yet our memories have barely gone. Everyday I tell myself that we are 'you and me against the odds' but why still I long for your hugs. In my dreams you haunt me. In my mind you sit there. In my heart you occupy a huge part actually. Your scent I totally miss. Your sweetness I absolutely wait. My eyes have dampened a bit thinking of you since morning. I have had almost no sleep trying to figure out how you have crazily stolen my sanity.

We have different worlds, yes, that is true. But what if my world has vanished and I have only wanted to be sheltered by your world? Yet, I know you won't really care.

From this moment on, I want your world in mine to disappear. I have been having a very hard time coping. I have suffered enough. I have bruised much from this love. I think, I want you totally out of my life.

a reality of love

"I promise I will love you forever." This was the sweetest line he has ever heard in his life. But what has happened to her? She has changed into someone he can't imagine to have become.

"Why on earth that promises of love are so easy to say but as times go by they just don't stand up? How many relationships have come and gone, this has been said many times yet still it has not come true until now. It is still an elusive statement, a surreal reality." These were the things on his mind as he looked from afar. 

I remember a movie shot in Africa where children were looking for small gold pieces in a brown-watered river. It is really a physically exhausting work for children not to mention the scorching heat of the sun. The worst part of it is to get nothing after straining for days.

Love is like this. We strain for small pieces of gold under the heat of the sun for days. If we persevere and work for a period of time, we may find one. But there are times that we really can't find a piece of gold in the river. No matter how much perseverance we give just to find a small piece of gold in the water, gold is just not really to be found.

He is not growing any younger, but still love has never been good on his side. What has love done to him why he suffers this way? What has he done for love why he bears this way?

stressbusters

At the age of 55, Anthony still can reach the peak of any mountain. He's been into it for almost 3 decades already and it seems as if he has never grown old for this.

Rina, a 22-year old fresh graduate, goes to her church and sings whenever she feels it. She plays the piano and guitar while singing some songs that will make her uplifted and happy.

After work, Ken, a father of two, sees to it that he has time to go to the court and play basketball. Although being a 9 to 5 worker, he also has to manage his time for family and hobby.

Grace is not an outdoor type of woman. She enjoys watching movies or TV programs especially when she has the luxury of time. She works in a bank. She thinks it is a demanding job but she gets easy whenever she watches her favorite films.

Jona lives in a bustling city where life is sometimes unkind and complicated. But every weekend when she has days off she goes to her roots. Whenever she sees the green fields, the hills, and the animals running around, she feels so enlivened and refreshed.

According to some researches, stress is one of the most dangerous enemies of the immune system. Once stress is present in one's body or system, different sicknesses will come and start to destroy its host. Stress doesn't choose anyone as its host--man, woman, rich, poor, beautiful, unpleasant, lazy, hardworking, young, and old.  Stress is also present in any job sorts. 

Five of them have their own stressbusters. Each of them has a different way to battle against physical or psychological stress. 

Have you discovered your stressbusters? If yes, then, whenever you feel the presence of stress in your system, give time for your stressbusters. If not yet, try to find what really makes you feel light and easy. It may be eating the food you like, cooking menus you haven't tried, climbing up a tree to pick fruits, walking or hanging out with friends, running around a park, or shopping in your favorite shop. Simple, weird, or luxurious as long as it relaxes your system, you go ahead. It is always right to pamper well-being.

every cent

"I really hate the people here. They piss me off often. Everyday, they just annoy me in any way."

Girly stated this as she was talking to her friend during their day off in Spain. She's been working in a government office in the country for about 3 years already.

Whenever she goes out and hangs out with friends, there is no other word in her mouth than 'I dislike the people here.' Whether in the park, in a get-together, or in a party with her friends. She is intensely against the people around her.

For those working abroad, we should realize that we get every cent of our salary from the citizens of the country where we work. Especially for those working in a public office, the people's money is the money we receive every pay day. 

Instead of cursing them or talking bad about them, we should thank them for they are our bread-and-butter. If it is not for their taxes or if they don't exist, we cannot have a job in their place. On a large scale, we owe our wealth to them. Instead of lifting ourselves thinking that we are more intelligent, wiser, or finer than them, be nice to them. Instead of thinking that we are better in our jobs compared to them, we should always think that we are just the same. For all of us working, we have the same jobs, just different functions. We may differ in culture, race, color, and principles, we are the same human beings. Treat them benevolently even in  our roughest times with them. Love them whenever possible. It is simple as that.  

deprived of

For a man who had been deprived of so many things in his childhood days, he was able to manage to pull up and prove to himself that life isn't that bad at all.

It is still fresh in his memory what he had gone through as he was growing up. There was one incident in high school when he was to compete in sports but he had no pair of shoes to use. It was too bad that his family couldn't afford to buy shoes for him so he almost quit in the contest. It was a good thing that he was spared by a cousin who had shoes at that time and lent them to this man.

Now, that this man is a grown-up one, shoes are scattered in his room. Shoes can be seen here...there... and everywhere. 

For some children whose parents are not that well off and family only lives by hand to mouth, never lose hope. Most parents want the best for their sons and daughters but because of their economic status, sometimes they cannot give and provide what their children need and want. If parents don't have enough resources, children must resort to themselves to be better in order for them to get the things they need and want. It may not happen as quickly as possible, but eventually, tugging patiently would help them reach their goals in life.

This man knows how it feels to be on the shoes of these children. He pushed himself to strive harder and harder to avail the things he had been deprived of in his younger years. In front of a mirror, this man is smiling as he enjoys the things he never had in the past.

drawing a line

Drawing a line between a student and a teacher is hard to do when both are inlove.

Sony, a 30-year-old single man, had developed a romantic affection towards Emile, his student. They belong to the same faculty that was why they had seen each other often anywhere in the campus. Emile, a 22-year-old single student, had felt the same way towards her teacher, Sony. They both had held this powerful emotion that society dictates as forbidden.

Sony had been very careful pretending as if they had not been seeing each other outside school. He had to protect his job. Emile had been suppressed for quite a long time hiding this kind of relationship with her teacher. She had to bury freedom deep down the ground to safeguard her image as a student and as a woman.

But time was not on their side and the dean in their department had known their relationship. Sony lost his job so as Emile was expelled from school. 

Did Sony and Emile make a good decision by keeping their relationship from the eyes of the people around them? Do you think they should have fought against this norm in the society? 

We always say there is nothing wrong in or with loving. A boss and secretary can; a rich and a poor can; an old and a young can. But when a teacher and his student engage into a romantic relationship oftentimes people think of it as hellish one.

When it comes to love, how far could a teacher go for a student? Should their feelings be repressed, and wait for a time when they are both free from criticisms of others?

for the sake of family

He opens the cabinet. But after opening it, he gets glued in front leaning his head to one of the edges of the door. He is caught on thinking of something...

Benjy is 35 years old. He hasn't gotten married yet. He works hard to earn a living for his family. He's the first born in his family. His father died when he was 7.

All his life he has been working like a carabao in the field-for the sake of his family. He has set aside his dream of becoming a singer. If he doesn't work, his family will not eat anymore. His younger siblings are still in college. He is just the only one who supports them. Sometimes, when he gets home after work, he lays his back on a couch and dozes off unconsciously.

Suddenly, the alarm clock rings loudly. It's time to get prepared for work.

In this world where we live in, some of us unload their dreams to carry the reality of life. Instead of living their dreams, they prioritize the need for their family. Some even have forgotten their dreams sadly for the sake of family.

How many of us are like Benjy? There are things that we would really like to do but we set them aside for the sake of the people we love.

Have we lost our dreams? Have we forgotten them? Have we given them up? 

extremes in learning

I heard of a school director cursing and questioning why students still can't speak English when they study the language from 8 in the morning till 5 and afterwards they go to a language school for special classes. She also lamented the low level of the people's language skill as the ASEAN Economic Community is almost on the get-go.

Meanwhile, a Starbucks branch here has waived its subscription to an English newspaper. So, English is nowhere to be found except for the brochures located in a far corner inside the store.

A close friend has related that his students in high school don't really take English seriously. As if they don't really care for the subject.

On the other hand, a security guard is so desperate to learn English from a foreigner in an apartment he has been working in. He also asked the foreign guy if he could give the tutorial for free because he can't afford   to pay which the latter agreed by all odds.

People have different attitude towards learning. Some just don't really give a damn but some are really serious about it. There are many other situations where extremes are being seen in their approach apropos learning. And through their attitude, reflections are conspicuous through its ramifications.