Alter Ego

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“Papa, inilipat ko na yung channel sa favorite mo.”

My morning usually starts with my son telling me that he had switch the tv channel from cartoon network to discovery channel. He then gives me a hug and a kiss before picking up his trolley bag on his way out of the house. Ate Jocella would take her downstairs to wait for his school bus while I prepare to leave for work.

He gets home at 2pm. After having his meal, he calls me or his mama from his phone to ask permission if he could play games in the PC. There are times when instead of asking us permission, he would ask me how he could remove the error messages appearing on his screen and my reply is usually ‘why are you using the PC without asking me?’. Then he would laugh and tell me eh ‘pwede po ba?’ He knows that my answer would always be yes. But of course not when he is sick or when he has exams to prepare for.

From 2 - 6 he is either playing video games, doing his homework, reading a book or giving instructions to his ‘elite forces of the coalition army together with Dynasty, King of Tiara and Masu Honda‘. They’ve been having this year-long battle against the evil forces of Orochi.

Pam usually arrives at 5:30. Icen would greet her with a big hug and a kiss and an I missed you mama ‘bola‘ as if they have not been talking thru the phone earlier in the day. I usually arrive at 7:00 pm and he would do the same thing… if he is not too engrossed with his PSP.

During dinner he starts telling me stories about his friend Dynasty. I just listen and try to find a glitch in his story to test him if he could defend his friend. That story that started at dinner would continue after meal, while brushing his teeth (imagine how he does that) while putting on his pyjamas and as he tries to get to sleep. We never get to sleep without Pam’s word’s of ‘Icen tulog na’. We try to make it a point to at least say ‘Goodnight Papa Jesus’ before we all fall asleep.

The next morning would be another “Papa, inilipat ko na yung channel sa favorite mo.”

Below is an excerpt from the daily Bible reflections of the Kerygma Family. ( www.kerygmafamily.com )

“MANEMIS JOHN!”

“His name is John.” – Luke 1:63

A doctor of psychology once posted his fabricated survey results on all the bulletin boards of an American high school. It said that skin color had a direct link to mathematical abilities and Caucasian students excelled in Math more than all other skin types. After some weeks, Caucasian students topped Math in many if not all of the classes. A month later, he changed his fabricated survey report and said that there had been an error in the data analysis. It’s actually the Afro- Americans who have the best mathematical abilities. After that, the black students began to excel in their Math subjects.The conclusion? People behave based on the labels they have decided to accept. Names and labels prophesy to a person’s life. When a mother calls her son “Bobo!”whenever he makes a mistake, the boy will most likely flunk because he “unknowingly”accepts it. A man who is tagged as a “playboy like his dad,” will most likely be a hopeless womanizer who lives up to the people’s expectations.What have your past failures “named” you? “Sablay?” “Bakla?” “Addict!” You don’t need to live up to these names. Your past does not determine your future. God can give you a new name.Jon Escoto

REFLECTION:What names do you carry? Who gave them to you?

Lord, I have believed in the names that have brought me curse and despair. Let me hear You call me by a new name. Let me answer to names “My Love,” “Victorious” and “Joy.”

There are times when I would call my son makulit, iyakin and matigas ang ulo without thinking that those words might sink in him.

I should know more.

"I’m sure you would be a great father someday" were the words that I most remembered from a good friend back in my high school days. Words that every now and then becomes comfort at times when I feel mocked, offended or looked down upon.

"Kaya naman nagkaka-honor yang mga yan eh dahil teacher yung nanay dun" was the opposite case for the rockstar. He opted not to compete in the class because even if he does excel in that little school, most of them would still say that "teacher kasi yung nanay niya dun eh".

"Wala kang pulos" and "inutil" took years and a lot of "you’ve done great!" and "maraming salamat" to heal.

"Ang tagal na niyang nag-aabroad eh bakit wala pa rin kayong ipon?" haunts her still. I think she is learning to face these ghost and uses it to her advantage.

I know a top student from home who became a victim of "walang alam yan" and "bugok" and suffered paranoia.

"In the beginning was the Word…" then the entire universe was created.

Words can save lives but it can also be lethal. A lot of words are needed to bring development to a community but it only takes one to bring destruction to any country.

He had to become human to contain in his human form what the people in the world could understand of His nature. For His being is so huge that no word is available to man to describe His greatness. And no human before Him could bear the tiniest information of his natural form.

Si Niño yung pa-inosenteng anak ni Ka Tony (D) at ni Ma’am Lolit. Masunuring pangatlo sa pito, kaibigan sa ate, kinikilalang kuya ng apat, naging mabuting estudyante din naman. Pambato ni Lola Pitang sa debate kay Tata Leon tungkol sa relihiyon, alalay ni Lolo Enteng sa Bundok Banahaw at estudyante sa gitara, matamis daw ang dila sabi ni Tanyo, sakit sa ulo naman ni Tso Bido, kaladkaring pinsan at promotor na kabarkada.

Kay antu nag-umpisa ang kawalan ng respeto ng magkakapatid sa oras… at least eh dun sa mga nakababata sa kanya. Takaw sa atensyon, malakas ang loob… mayabang eh. Yabang na kapag napasubo na eh napipilitang gumawa ng paraan para kayaning dalhin. Nahilig sa musika, pumasok na tagatambol ng Drum&Bugle, sumayaw, naglakas loob na pumasok sa choir kahit sintonado kaya naging gitarista ng bisita kinalaunan. Komedyanteng kaklase, sinubukang magpakalider - napasubo, sinubukang pumirma - umubra, sinubukang magmahal nagkapamilya. Hinangad lumipad at napalaot. Kinayang gawain ang ninais.

Si Eno ang produkto ng pagsunod sa agos, maging ang pangalan niya’y hindi naman sa kanya. Nang makalapag sa bagong mundo’y nagsimulang mawalan ng direksyon. Naging tagasunod ng markadong papel at kinaibigan ang computer. Inakalang naging mainam ang kalagayan. Pero pahapyaw na lumabo ang paningin at natitig sa sarili. Malungkot sa pagkakahimpil subalit maligaya sa kanyang dalawang buhay.