Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The love that overflows

In a correspondence with someone I know, our topic, although not explicitly, revolves on the love that we have experienced in our lifetime. When we talk about our family so fondly, or about how experiences changed the way we are as a person, we are in fact speaking of the love that we experienced. With that said, I will be writing about the love that overflows.

There are two things that can happen to a person. To accept love or not to accept it. Either way the person is still loved. If you come to think of it, there is never an instance in this world that one is in lack of loving, its just a matter of acceptance. I realized that the month of loving we experience solely depends on the amount of love we want to accept, this then goes on to say that those who say they lack love lacked acceptance. We will never really know how loved we are. Not that it should be taken negatively but the thought that the love we can experience can not be measured is a promising prospect that life in this world is indeed wonderful (that is if you consider being loved as a good thing).

Now the reason I am saying all this is because for most of us, we tend to think that love is something that requires other people. Especially this generation, we think that love is there to be found, the truth is: IT IS THERE TO BE EXPERIENCED. I am saying that love is not a feeling of some sort it is actually a part of our life, an experience that is for our taking. It is not borne out of intricate formula that came from a brilliant mind, but rather it is the proof of our existence that simply overflows everywhere.

The point of all this is love is a natural result of living this life the way it should be lived according to the purpose that we were created. Being borne out of love means that we are creatures of love which is also the reason why we are capable of doing so. In the end to live is to love and not to love is to be a walking dead person.

I guess it will be hard to accept that there are indeed difficult situations, lives that are ruined but in all this its just a matter of realizing that love overflows and its all a matter of acceptance.

I love you people!!!

Monday, August 13, 2007

9th National Debate Championship

The Academy will be hosting this year's 9th National Debate Championship. Being part of the organization that spearheads the hosting of this event, I was tasked to come up with the website to advertise this event. I am proud to announce that the website is now online for those who wish to know how are the preparations for this event. This is also an advance information for schools who wish to participate. Just click on the link below


Enjoy!!!

Saturday, August 11, 2007

The lives that reverberate

I did not expect things to happen this fast, another one of my upperclass is dead in Sulu this time the person is closer to my heart.

With the life that we live here, living in constant interaction, force to socialize, people do stick to us and without our knowing we develop a kind of connection that perhaps makes up for the kind of brotherhood thing obvious among PMA graduates. In Sulu right now, there are countless of possibilities. The soldiers fighting there right now might be someone that I used to share a table with, someone who scolded me for doing something wrong, someone I simply know.The truth of the matter is, I do not want to know who is there, I'm afraid.

This morning another deafening silence came inside the mess hall. Before we were to take our breakfast, the First Captain announced: "Let us offer a one minute prayer to the late... so and so, of PMA class so and so... who died in an encounter yesterday in Sulu." In two consecutive breakfasts two of my upperclass are dead.

A friend of mine said: "But if i go on and ponder much on losing life and losing them, I'll just end up hating life." She is right but thinking about the people that we've lost in the past days, I really can't help it but ponder. Ponder on the fact that it was just yesterday that they wore the same uniform as I am wearing. I can't help but ask why them of all the many soldiers out there. And the most frightening, I'll be there in seven months. Yet I do not want to hate life. I love life and I will live it. The fear in me keeps on telling me things, yet I know I am where I should be.

People die even if they do not fight in Sulu. Although the thought can be promising the fact that they die is not that promising at all. Perhaps there is not promise. If it's your time it will be your time and not even an avoidance of war changes that. I am expecting the situation to escalate in the next coming days. Now with two more battalions conducting combat operations it will become dirty. More of my upperclassmen will come (I heard our new graduates who were assigned in Luzon are being recalled to be sent to Mindanao) and I know, even if I do not want to, some of them will have to pay the ultimate sacrifice. Their names will reverberate in my head every time the dreaded one minute prayer will be done in their honor. But then this is the life that God gave me and in seven months time, I just might find myself side by side with them. My prayer is that I will be ready when that time comes.

The lives of those who perished is never wasted for their spirit lives on telling me and I hope all others that life is but a mere expression of the purpose we are set out to do. My life will be just like that hoping that my fate will be good to me. Let us keep on praying to all the soldiers fighting for this country. Someday, I know we will all understand it.

Friday, August 10, 2007

The lives of those who fought

The words are still echoing inside my head as I remember how he used to read the publication inside the mess hall about 6 months ago. In one instant, he was gone.

Last night, a sad news enveloped the whole Corps of Cadets. Our previous Brigade Adjutant, who graduated last March, was one of the fatalities in the latest clash against the muslim rebels in Sulu. As we were trying to confirm the news, we realized, life slips that FAST.

It will seem that for most of us, we have embraced the reality of death. When asked about questions concerning this topic, we proudly say that everybody is bound to die, I would rather die fighting for my country. Such was the case of our upperclass, but in the real sense, when reality has settled, it is not as simple as dying. To say that its that simple is a mockery of the hope and spirit we invested in our training, the idealism that we have cultivated, and of course the perseverance we mustered.

When people read today's news, they will dismiss it as another of those usual occurence about rebels being engaged in a firefight with our armed forces. Today, as I try to read the news, I remember a voice whose command I used to heed when he begins his sonata of orders while we conduct our weekly parades. I try to remember how I used to give this person the salute that he truly deserves everytime our paths cross. I try to remember the idealism that we both shared and cultivated inside the very halls that I am now. In an instant all of those will just be memories, happy memories I suppose.

As the lyrics of one song we sing here in the Academy would put it:

"And when the taps shall sound for men
Banners drape my last remains
Let singing comrades bury me
To the echo of these strains"

Let us remember the lives of those who fought for this country. The job is hard but someone has to do it... Let's go ARMY

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Random thoughts

A moment in time is a moment lost in eternity. A gasp of air is one chance at life. In a person's lifetime there are moments that would seem to be lost in an instant. Sometimes we take notice and sometimes we do not. How many chances do we get in a lifetime?

In my life there have been memories that keep on coming back. Memories that I wish to remember because for some reason I will not be able to get a taste of it again. Usually, these memories are either my firsts and my lasts. There are also times when we feel that we are into something that will not happen again. What I regret the most is not taking notice that such events will have a lasting impact on me. Have I known, I would have paid attention to every detail and savored it.
Perhaps we really do not know. I mean, if we live our life always looking for those moments then we would not be enjoying that moment enough for it to become a lasting memory. It can then be said that these memories only became such because of the simple reason that they are GONE. The question then is: Do we really have to wait for the time that it is gone?

Is value an end to a thing lost? Do we really know how valuable something is when it is still not list? Should we risk it?

These are random thoughts, insights that are borne of a stormy weather and a wondering heart. A thought that came from a longing heart wondering if the things that I value are those that really matter. Again... I will never know.