A very long way

Come to think of it, I've been through quite a lot of stages in my life. Of course, this comes with age. The fact that I've been around for three decades now, is pretty much revealing the wrinkles of my existence.

I remember being a young athlete and music-lover. Countless summers spent in front of the keyboard, or strumming guitar strings, exercising my vocal chords, or doing laps in the pool, chasing after tennis balls or prancing around with my badminton racket on hand, practicing my pirouettes and run, run, run jumps. I remember switching from my ballerina shoes to my tennis runners, and in between stealing glimpses at my cute young swimming coach. The joys of youth. So much energy, so much time at hand.

I remember being a young traveler, doing summer exchange programs all over the Philippines and around Europe, witnessing to other youths and sharing culture and faith. That was my life for a good 10 years. Until, I moved to Sydney, and my then social life suddenly shrunk to a few or handful good friends. What used to be weekends giving inspiring 'talks' amidst a good hundred people, turned to one saturday night one-on-one wine talks with one good friend. They are both nonetheless, quality time spent, they just belong on opposite ends of the spectrum and quite incomparable. Time can do that to a person, pleasure in number, 100 or 1.

I remember being a student at university, three times over. 30 years, 10 schools, thousands of acquaintances, dozens of subjects, handful of confidants, a few heartaches, and neverending learning.