The internet says for those who don’t know yet their meanings simply explains: “The swan song is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or RETIREMENT [from some activity]. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful song just before their death, having been silent during most of their lifetime.” While to “Write 30” my search in the internet I consider futile and gave up after many times of trying; because may be the internet thinks it’s not yet time for me to know. It cannot be about me which should really be– still much alive, I “write 82”. “Write 30” is what newspapers write to announce when a publicly known writer passed.
Anyway, with this last article, I just want to say good bye to my readers; if there’s any (joke only!). No Big Deal because I know only two acquaintances and maybe editor-publisher Ms. Tess Cusipag and one or two of her staff who reads my stuff. This last piece is better titled to be understood as: Hi, Thank You, Good Bye.
As per my old file, I submitted my first article to BALITA on July 10, 2009; probably more than ten years ago. All those years my file says my BALITA submissions had an estimated more than 200 pages in bond paper involving more than 90,000 words; enough to fill a book which if published, can be donated to their selected (by BALITA readers) public schools alma mater in the Philippines. I shall propose and discuss this with Madame Tess. The book SHALL NOT be for money or profit but a humble gesture of gratitude to schools by their graduates.
I think to be one-on-one is being TRANSPARENT even just to a few readers. I think the book will be generally informative about the Philippines. It shall be the Swan Song of this Swan Song.
If anybody had read my articles here in BALITA, will this book content be helpful to students at home in the Philippines? I reorganized the stuff into possible chapters like: (1) Culture, (2) Nature and Calamities (3) Politics and Elections, (4) Judiciary and the Senate, (5) Pnoy, (6) Fil-Canadians, and (7) Unprivatized and Personal.
These are few samples only of the titles of the articles I found in my file.
The Who and Why of Immigrants to Canada
The Rains of Wrath, The Wrath of Ignorance
Floods and the Anatomy of Government Apathy
Introspection Is It?
Martial Law as Beauty and Beast
Dark Purple in The Horizon: Coup D’etat and Treason
Impeachment’s Unspoken, Unread Words
I guess in a swan song a wannabe writer is one who opens his heart and mind to others, who writes not for his daily bread but to commune with his few readers, to really share with them for free what he has learned, what he has experienced, to be personal with issues and NOT against particular people, to be transparent and avoid raking over the coals the weaknesses of others. These all tried with failure and success, define what is wannabe me. There should be no regrets for a retired teacher (not a journalist) to fail in such fabric of ambition. I did try that before in this link:
First it was Ruben, then there is Tess and the BALITA staff all pushing the rock of life up the slippery slopes of daily mountain grind. Here and elsewhere, I shall always be indebted to them. ****