Walang Halong Echos

by: Fray Garing

Marami ng tumanda sa MUKHA AD. Yung iba naabutan pa yung first airing ng Voltes V sa Pilipinas. Yung iba naman naniniwala hanggang ngayon na lahat ng nakikita sa malls, overpass, bangketa ay nanggagaling sa Divisoria. Meron din namang nasubaybayan pa ang pagdadalaga ni Maricel Soriano sa John en Marsha. May nakaabot din sa panahong ang tawag sa sosyal at imported na gamit e PX goods, at ito rin yung mga taong ang age-range e inaabangan pa ang antics ng Escalera brothers sa Iskul Bukol tuwing gabi. Ganun katanda.

Marami ding bumabata sa MUKHA AD. Yung mga naka-corporate attire kapag weekdays at kuntodo ang pagkapormal e nagcocoloring book sa linggo at tumitili habang gumagawa ng bahay ng gagambang yari sa straw sa sanga-sanga ng puno ng kalachuchi. May mga pa-mature effect din pero in the end kung umacting sa stage ay wagas sa pagka lukaret. Matindi ang kumpetisyon kumbaga. Hahatakin ka sa pagkabata kasi kahit birthday hindi pinapatawad. Tuwing may kaarawan ang birthday cake ay doughnut na tinusukan ng kandilang hugis tao (yung kulay pula na nabibili sa Quiapo, hehe joke lang). Basta doughnut yun na tinusukan ng kandila na sasabayan ng malupit na Happy Birthday song. Masaya naman sila. Dito ang daming nangyayari, hahatakin ka talaga sa pagkabata. Ika nga ng ilan “Linggo-linggo laging may bago.”

Marami din namang tumatanda sa MUKHA AD. Walang halong echos to. May mga nakasalamuha na din kaming mga Emo dito at mga taong nakakulong sa mundo ng tamagotchi. Yung una dapat laging malungkot-effect at parang nagpadila muna sa elepante para tumigas ang buhok saka pupunta sa MUKHA AD. Yung pangalawa namatayan ng tamagotchi kasi buong araw nakipagtsismisan sa MUKHA AD hindi na napakain yung mukhang tetris niyang alaga. Meron din namang astig! Yung tipong sasapakin ka kung makatingin at sa sharing ipinamagmamalaking “black sheep” daw sila. Pero nung lumaon tumitino din naman hehe. Peace lang. Anyway ang sabi nga ng matatanda maturity comes with a healthy acceptance of one’s self. Pero sa isang banda mahalaga din namang tanggap ka ng isang komunidad kahit sino o ano ka man, o saang planeta o subterranean place ka man nanggaling para matanggap mo ang sarili mo. Marami na rin ang nagsabi na yan ang karisma ng MUKHA AD. Hug ka namin dito.           

Balanse ang MUKHA AD. Seryoso sa pag-aaral, honest sa personal sharings, cool sa games at magaan kakuwentuhan over 3 in 1 coffee. Sa loob ng dalawmpu’t tatlong taon marami na ding tumino at nagpatino ng tao dito, yung iba may pamilya na, may housewife, househusband, abogado, teacher, doctor, nurse, pari, madre at napabibilang sa kung anu-ano pang propesyon at bokasyon.

Sa MUKHA AD importante ang pagdarasal. Sabi nga ni Peter Rosegger (1843-1918, Austrian writer) “People used to say: Give your soul a Sunday! Now they say: Give your Sunday a soul!” Kaya tuwing linggo kalakip ng pagsisimba ang pag-attend sa MUKHA AD. Marami sa kabataan ayaw ng churchy-churchy group kasi hindi daw fashionable, pero hindi naman ito fashion-fashion lang. Ang kahalagahan ng pagdarasal at pananampalataya ay buhat sa malalim na karanasan ng tao, lalo na yung mga nauna sa atin, sabi nga ni Blaise Pascal (1588-1651) “Do you want to come to believe but do not know the way? Learn from those who were tormented by doubts before you. Imitate their way of acting, do everything that the faith requires, as though you were already a believer. Attend Mass, use holy water, and so on. That will no doubt make you simple and lead you to faith.” 

Hindi naman kailangang maging heavy ang buhay, pero dapat may weight. Kung sino ka man hindi buburahin ng MUKHA AD ang mukha ng iyong karanasan. Sa iyong karanasan nagpapakilala ang Diyos, ang Diyos na nagpakilala: si Kristo. Nawa’y magkakilala tayo. Magpakilala, kilalanin natin ang isa’t isa.

Unemployed

An unemployed graduate woke up one morning and checked his pocket. All he had left was $10. He decided to use it to buy food and then wait for death as he was too proud to go begging. He was frustrated as he could find no job, and nobody was ready to help him. 

He bought food and as he sat down to eat, an old man and two little children came along and asked him to help them with food as they had not eaten for almost a week. Helooked at them.. They were so lean that he could see their bones coming out. Their eyes had gone into the socket. With the last bit of compassion he had, he gave them the food. The old man and children prayed that God would bless and prosper him and then gave him a very old coin . The young graduate said to them 'you need the prayer more than I do'.

With no money, no job, no food, the young graduate went under the bridge to rest and wait for death. As he was about to sleep, he saw an old newspaper on the ground. He picked it up, and suddenly he saw an advertisement for people with old coins to come to a certain address. 

He decided to go there with the old coin the old man gave him. On getting to the place, he gave the proprietor the coin. The proprietor screamed, brought out a big book and showed the young graduate a photograph. This same old coin was worth 3 million dollars. The young graduate was overjoyed as the proprietor gave him a bank draft for 3 million dollars within an hour.. He collected the Bank Draft and went in search of the old man and little children. 

By the time he got to where he left them eating, they had gone.. He asked the owner of the canteen if he knew them. He said no but they left a note for you. He quickly opened the note thinking it would lead him to find them. 

This is what the note said: 'You gave us your all and we have rewarded you back with the coin,' signed God the Father , The Son and The Holy Ghost . 1 Kings 17:10 -16; Matthew 11:28 -30  

photo taken from the net

A Girl In CD Store

There was once a guy who suffered from cancer... a cancer that can't be treated. He was 18 years old and he could die anytime. All his life, he was stuck in his house being taken cared by his mother. He never went outside but he was sick of staying home and wanted to go out for once. So he asked his mother and she gave him permission. He walked down his block and found a lot of stores. He passed a CD store and looked through the front door for a second as he walked. He stopped and went back to look into the store. He saw a young girl about his age and he knew it was love at first sight. He opened the door and walked in, not looking at anything else but her. He walked closer and closer until he was finally at the front desk where she sat. She looked up and asked, "Can I help you?" She smiled and he thought it was the most beautiful smile he has ever seen before and wanted to kiss her right there. He said, "Uh... Yeah... Umm... I would like to buy a CD." He picked one out and gave her money for it. "Would you like me to wrap it for you?" she asked, smiling her cute smile again. He nodded and she went to the back. She came back with the wrapped CD and gave it to him. He took it and walked out of the store. He went home and from then on, he went to that store everyday and bought a CD, and she wrapped it for him. He took the CD home and put it in his closet. He was still too shy to ask her out and he really wanted to but he couldn't. His mother found out about this and told him to just ask her. So the next day, he took all his courage and went to the store. He bought a CD like he did everyday and once again she went to the back of the store and came back with it wrapped. He took it and when she wasn't looking, he left his phone number on the desk and ran out... RRRRRING!!! The mother picked up the phone and said, "Hello?" It was the girl!!! She asked for the boy and the mother started to cry and said, "You don't know? He passed away yesterday..." The line was quiet except for the cries of the boy's mother. Later in the day. The mother went into the boy's room because she wanted to remember him. She thought she would start by looking at his clothes. So she opened the closet. She was face to face with piles and piles and piles of unopened CDs. She was surprised to find all those CDs and she picked one up and sat down on the bed and she started to open one. Inside, there was a CD and as she took it out of the wrapper, out fell a piece of paper. The mother picked it up and started to read it. It said: Hi... I think U R really cute. Do u wanna go out with me? Love, Jacelyn The mother opened another CD... Again there was a piece of paper. It said: Hi... I think U R really cute. Do u wanna go out with me? Love, Jacelyn Love is... when you've had a huge fight but then decide to put aside your egos, hold hands and say, "I Love You"

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