Life is a kaleidoscopic journey of stories. Saan man mamugad at tumagal ang isang nilalang, siya ay susundan ng kasaysayan. Animo’y anino, tutunghayan siya ng isang libo’t-isang salita na nasambit, narinig at nasulat.
The question is: Ilan kaya sa mga kataga ang pasaring at pangungutya; ilan ang banta o babala; at ilan ang udyok ng damdaming nagtampo o nagalit?
At ilan din kaya ang mistulang bula na dapat ipawalang-bahala?
How many of the words made sense and was life changing; how many were lessons that sank in and learned; how many created steps to lead and follow?
How many came from a kind heart and caring mind?
After all had been said, heard, felt and done, how much have people shared words of faith, hope and love?
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Words, I was told, are a mere chop suey of letters. Unless assigned a fair and good sense, an empathic respectful soul, and positive meaning, the concoction will be hard to eat at all. Alphabet soup, anyone?
Being on the same page with what words mean enhances communication and the exchange of ideas, kaagad maiintindihan at makaka-relate with.
Fair warning: Ang malansang isda ay nahuhuli sa bunganga.
Ever wondered why some words – in any language — sometimes have two or more meanings that border on the good and the bad, the right from the wrong; or express the thin line between fantasy and reality, between stupidity and genius, between life and death?
Unless words define the lingo of love and truth, they do not matter; never to crush the good in man.
Gratitude to Words, by the Bee Gees: “You think that I don’t even mean a single word I say. It’s only words and words are all I have to take your heart away.”
Ayayay, may pasaway: “More words, more mistakes; lesser words, lesser mistakes; no words, no mistakes.”
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It’s true. Maraming quotes, catchphrases, pen pen de sarapen at kahalintulad na panambitan ang itinuring kong gabay at saklay sa payak na paglalakbay sa masayang landas ng pamumuhay.
Gaya-gaya, puto maya; kopya lang ng kopya. Aminin. Sa kalumaan, my quotation book is gathering alikabok.
Fine. Marami ring quotes etc. na dapat nang burahin sa bokabularyo ng mga arbularyong nagsusulong ng mga pansamantagalang lunas.
Marami ang nawalan na ng context.
Dictionary SOS: Context is the circumstance or the factors that form the setting for an event, idea or statement, upon which the event, idea or statement can be fully understood and assessed.
There is only one truthful story to be told in full, not in tsismis-ish segments. Kung wala ka rin lang sasabihing mabuti, bakit ka nasa earth?
Omitted and withheld data and info only give rise to more questions than answers. It breeds the viruses for lies, spam, cover ups, and propaganda.
“Quotable quotes” and “words of wisdom” taken out of context or simply do not have any context at all are unbelievable, if not risky and dangerous. Quick quip: After all is said and done, more is said than done.
While blah, blah, blah may initially mislead the gullible, it will fail to relate in the long run.
Nevertheless, think about it. Webster and other wordsmiths may have published a dictionary, but absolutely anyone can build a glossary of jargon, Eraptions, jejemon. moontalk, and slips and twists of the tongue.
BTW, Mother Nature and God’s creations do not nag. Caring and loving, they are a joy to listen to.
Once, I heard someone postulate that the potency of language is infinite.
The glib of ancient sages and philosophers, popular movers and shakers, celebrities and Mang Kepweng are best understood only when replicated in context.
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Alas! The no-hear, no-see, no-tell monkeys are at it again – their dark shadows slowly crumbling the cookie of MAD’s Spy vs. Spy’s “see something, say something.” Meddling and muddling from up high?
For better results, use drones, satellites and the space station. Mas maayo kaysa lobo, hindi nakakabobo. Ready, sing: “Ako ay may lobo, lumipad sa langit …”
Mas type ko ang peg ni Ka Freddie Aguilar in his Bulag, Pipi at Bingi.
Heed the coming train: Stop! Look! Listen!
Out of reach ang cellphone? E ‘di poor.
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Wait. What?! Paki-explain nga.
Hulog ng langit. Ang kuwento: Naghagis ng iba’t ibang bagay na may iba’t ibang bigat si Galileo mula sa itaas ng Leaning Tower of Pisa. Presto! He showed that gravity pulled objects of varied masses with the same acceleration – calculated at 32 feet per second square. Taympers, nasaan ang pizza?
Marami-rami na rin ang nabalitang nahulog mula sa second floor. Some were deemed literally breathtaking. Aysus, yun pa kayang bumulusok from the heavens above?
Hopeless romantic ka man o desperado dahil sa day-to-day hand-to-mouth existence mo, huwag ka nang sumalo. Isang isplat naman diyan!
At kung umaaligid ang naka-motorsiklong balbas sarado na may dalang payong at kulambo na wari’y pinagtataguan ng mga tao, hindi ito hulog ng langit. Siya ang hinuhulug-hulugan buwan-buwan.
Kulang sa pansin. Walang masama sa mangarap na maging sikat at laman ng usap-usapan. Three-point surefire strategy ang mungkahi ni Mang Tomas: Magbihis pamburol. Enjoy being the talk of the town sa lamayan. Embrace the bright light bulbs and the fragrant flowers dahil puro kabutihan ko daw ang topic.
Ooops, may dalawang aberya. Una, Mang Tomas says my bad can also be the subject of careless whispers sa tabi-tabi. Patotoo ng mga men of science, the speed of sound in air is about 343 metres per second, at 20 degrees Celsius. Kasama kaya sa research ang dilang matatabil ng marites at kabastusan ng mga inaway ko minsan? Secondly, illogical at hindi aesthetic ang nakahigang sikat; but standing up may spawn panic and annoying screams.
Mang Tomas’s suggestion is preposterous and ridiculous, as it is grim and madilim. Thus, it is rejected. I just have to seek ways to re- project my candy-coated and perfume-shaded image, whether it ends a cat’s curiosity or stays in the dump. Kung mayroong mas mabyuting paraan, pa-share naman.
Sometimes, mahirap maging sikat kung mauuwi lang sa pagiging mayabang at palalo. Kung ang dala ay puro angas, ingay at panduduro, this is not for me. Count me out.
Wika nga sa Bibliya, 1 Corinthians 13:1 (NIV): If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
Mas good to go ang pinitpit na tansan at timbang butas, may sweet reverb tuwing Kapaskuhan.
Saba diha! Just listen to the sound of silence (Daghang salamat, Simon and Garfunkel).
Where na u? Here na me. “Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you need is call. And I’ll be there, you’ve got a friend …” said James Taylor at Carole King. May pakapin si Michael Jackson: “Whenever you need me, I’ll be there.” Moreover, The Four Tops and Gloria Gaynor assured Reach Out, I’ll Be There.
Rain check ba, ‘ika mo?
Nasa kanto, online at kahit saan, I expect na ang may pana at kakana-kana has become a thing of the past; na ang naka-iinsultong myth that is “Filipino time” has joined all “the late” sa sementeryo.
I believe na para maging maayos ang lahat alinsunod sa batas ni Inang Kalikasan, dapat everyone and everything must be on time. Pray that God never decides on an eighth day when it becomes too late to pray.
Being stood up is rude awakening. Si Invisible Man at ang mga katoto ni Casper na lang ba ang nagsusuot ng Seiko o sumisilip sa city hall?
Ate Ester seldom raises her eyebrows. But when she does, she means: Ang hindi dumating sa napag-usapang lugar at oras ay unworthy of my time and space. Learn from her.
Kuya Elmer comments: Ang una ay magiging huli; at ang huli, hintayin natin. Siya ang taya.
Eniweys, a no-show is always potential conversation fodder; lilitsunin ng buhay sa umpukan.
Questions out of the blue: Bakit always llamado ang kuneho gayong mas mabilis naman ang kabayo? Bakit nawawala sa loob ko ang maging superhero sa mga sandaling hinahabol kami ng oso?
Papalit-palit, palipat-lipat. Halos lahat ng saligang batas sa mga democracies guarantee free choice and movement. Masasabing one can ably go and be here, there, everywhere; of course, even nowhere.
Kaya lang, some restrictions apply at no batteries included. Bukod dito, natural laws prevail. ‘Yan ang malaya!
But against a scorned partner, nakakabukol pa ring tamaan ng random head-seeking flying saucers and plates, sandok at palayok kung may sumakabilang bahay.
Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan, hindi makararating sa paroroonan. Boss, you have to retrace your steps. Kailangan mong bumalik. Nakalimutan mong magpantalon.
Paano na ang esposa ni Lot sa kuwento ng Sodom at Gomorrha? Lumingon, naging bloke ng asin at hindi na makaka-move forward. Dangkasi’y madali namang makinig, eh. No more comments. My lips are sealed.
Why not? From time to time, look over your shoulders and see if those who promised really have your back.
Masamang damo. Hanggat maaari, umiiwas ang nagpa-parachute na lumanding sa garden ng makahiya. Puwes, sino nga ba ang sa toxic ang ugali’t salita ay makikisalamuha?
Nothing rare, subalit magpaunlak ng second chance sa mga handang mag-change beyond reasonable doubt.
Change is the only permanent thing in this world. Chances are nga ba, Johnny Mathis?
Sino ang mag-aakala na matalino man din daw ang matsing, unggoy pa rin; kahit na patok sa takilya ang Planet of the Apes?
I’m sorry. May saysay lang ang apology kung (1) ito ay taimtim, (2) may pangakong hindi na mauulit ang kamaliang nangyari at (3) may kasunod na gagawing amends. Kung absent ang isa sa tatlo sa paghingi ng paumanhin, wa-epek.
Katuwiran ni Segunda: “To err is human, to err anew is stupidity.”
Walang pagpapasensiyahan sa larangan ng pag-ibig at pagmamahal. Enter the film Love Story, starring Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neil: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”
Sorry, but kailangang payuhan ang mga hindi tinamaan ng Covid-19 pero iniiwasan. Stop the bleeding. Hintuan na ang magpautang.
Hindi nga tinamaan ng Covid-19 pero iwas ng iwas at nagtatago, tigilan na ang mang-scam.
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Life and the universe are full of God’s mysterious ways and divine surprises.
Miracles do happen; not only sometimes, but all the time.
I believe in God and His miracles. Reciting the Nicene Creed helps me to believe more.
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BJ Thomas hit it well with I Just Can’t Help Believing. Long before Shrek, the Monkees expressed I’m A Believer. Journey advised Don’t Stop Believing. The Stylistics gave life to The Miracle. Way to go with song titles.
Peluka, pelikula. Labada, ikinula, Palaka, nakabukaka. Walang himala, sigaw ni Nora. Lekat, naloko na.
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Rejoice! Spring is around the corner. From fields of snow white and dewy green to patches of gold; rebirth!
Lent has likewise arrived to remind us of all the reasons to repent, to sacrifice and to be redeemed.
Spiritual rebirth and enlightenment – the leap of faith, the glitter of hope, and the miracle of love – be upon us.
Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind (Thanks, Kansas).
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Hanggang sa muli, eat well and sleep well. Be good, be kind and be of help. Keep safe. #####