Daily Dose of Life: One

It's sad how some things have an expiration date.

I tweeted about this yesterday after hearing about several couples breaking up for personal reasons. Coincidentally, later that day, I was also engaged in a conversation with a friend of mine who said he sees his newly started relationship coming to an end sooner or later as their future living situations would get in the way of what they wish to last. As much of a realistic person that I am, there are times when I'd like my faith and optimism to intervene, so I replied to him by saying something like, "Why think of your relationship as something that will end? You don't go into relationships thinking it'll have an expiration date. You'll never know, what if you guys can work things out?" I mean, yeah he's right, realistically or even statistically, long distance relationships don't work out. It requires effort, patience, understanding, loyalty, and even money. But what if it does work out? Then you passed out on that opportunity; you allowed yourself to let go of something special without even putting up a fight.

I guess at some point some things don't really last. Cake doesn't last long, clothes get worn out, shoes get broken, money gets spent, gadgets depreciate, relationships end...(you get the picture)... not all things we want can last forever. It's a sad reality. But doesn't mean we can't prolong the end credits from rolling, right? Cake should be refrigerated, clothes, shoes and gadgets are to be taken care of, money can be saved or reinvested, and relationships need to be strengthened.

Endings, no matter how they turn out may still be sad. It's a tragedy that Romeo and Juliet died without knowing what could have happened to them if only Romeo didn't try killing his self first. Allie and Noah's love for each other surpassed every trial and even died hand in hand beside each other, but that was still, uhm, romantically sad(?) (well maybe for me, I teared up!). But most of the time what matters is the story (that they once found a love so great) and the life lesson we get from that experience (uhm, don't be stupid and drink poison? or freaking text Romeo about your plans!). Not so much the ending. Just like what I told my friend, "if it were to end, at least she was able to make you feel happy and loved at some point in your life." Well, what I'm trying to say is, whether something will end or not, just make sure to make the ride worthwhile to avoid regrets.

Maybe these endings happen for a reason, maybe the things we want (at that time) unfortunately aren't what God wants for us. Maybe we're meant for something bigger, better. We just have to try and take risks until we find something that could (would) last.

Sources:
Google images

The Inevitable

(For GREATWK class, our professor asked us to make a comic analysis on a page of our chosen comic book, I would just like to share what I wrote, in realization of life and death. Disclaimer: I do not really read Calvin and Hobbes, what I wrote here (descriptions, etc) is just based on the few strips and research I've read.)

Calvin and Hobbes is a comic strip based on the everyday life of Calvin, a 6-year-old boy, who embarks on various adventures with Hobbes, his inanimate stuffed tiger, who Calvin treats as his best friend, companion, and “partner-in-crime”. Throughout the comic strip he is perceived to be very young, playful, mischievous, and full of curiosity in the different things in life. For a six-year-old, Calvin shows his intelligence through his deep and interesting conversations with Hobbes, his parents, and classmates. Hobbes, on the other hand, is seen as someone who’s a more mature version of Calvin, someone who guides him and at the same time, serves as his friend. In the comic strip, the readers are also brought into the story by the numerous experiences Calvin and Hobbes share. In spite of the seemingly child-like stories and adventures of the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, it is said to have political, social, and environmental implications.

A specific story I would like to make a comic analysis on from the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, is the Raccoon Story. In this story, Calvin and Hobbes found a sickly raccoon that they wished to get better. Calvin calls on his mom to help the raccoon, and was asked to prepare a restful place for the animal. They took care of the raccoon overnight, only to find out that the animal did not make it the next day. Calvin was in tears after finding out, and the scenes show the child’s emotional side with regards to the death of the raccoon he just met. The strip ends by Calvin, a six-year-old boy, trying to grasp the idea of life and death and by telling Hobbes not to leave his side.

What struck me most about this episode of the comic strip is how the writer conveys Calvin’s sensitive side, despite him being a care-free child. It also shows his innocence when it comes to the facing the reality of life and death. For a child who’s so dynamic, it must be hard for him to accept this sad reality.

Personally, I have not read a lot of comic strips, but most of what I have read did not express this much emotion that affected me. Upon reading this, I ended up teary-eyed, as I put myself in the place of Calvin. Being someone who loves animals and pets, I have encountered Calvin’s experience with death a couple times before. Some were even worse, but I had a very similar experience with this episode, so I was able to relate well.

Death is a serious and life-changing experience for everyone, especially for young ones like Calvin. It being inevitable, or part of the life cycle, does not necessarily make it easier for us to accept. How the author depicted what Calvin’s mother told him, “how we should accept death even though it is something we do not understand, and to just do the best we can with the knowledge we have”, is possibly the best way one can do to ease the pain we experience when dealing with this kind of situation. In the story, they had done everything they could do to help save the raccoon’s life, but it was still time for him to pass away, so all they could do is just to carry this experience and move on with life. This is something we should all learn from. We cannot stop death from taking our loved ones lives, but before it’s too late, we should make sure to do everything we can to show how much we value and care each other, before the inevitable happens.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_and_Hobbes

http://www.progressiveboink.com/archive/calvinhobbes.htm

Gotta Hope For The Best

Aside from keeping up with the demands of numerous school requirements and extra-curricular activities, passing (not even acing anymore) every academic exam, and balancing social life, one thing that stresses us college students is the mere thought of our future. College is a relevant stepping stone into the career direction we want to pursue, a stepping stone into our future. We are pressured to become successful in our respective fields, to meet the expectations of our parents and loved ones, and to keep up with the competition in our workplace. It's nice to see and hear people you know excelling in what they do, getting great opportunities, and necessary exposure. But doesn't it make you think, what if you're not as lucky? What if you're not good enough? What if you turn out to be a failure?

What if I'm not as lucky? What if I'm not good enough? What if I turn out to be a failure? These are the questions I can't help but ponder on. Sure, I was satisfied with my high school performance - achieving honors and winning awards, but College is different. It was like a slap in the face that I'm not the brightest out there, especially in my field.

I remember filling out college application forms and getting stuck whenever asked about which course I wish to take. I guess I'm one of those who hadn't figured out yet what I'd like to be when I grow up (is there a course you take to be the best housewife?). I had choices I was interested in, yet had equally contradicting reasons why I shouldn't take it:

1) Medicine - my childhood dream was to be a pediatrician. If only I'm good at memorizing and studying for years, and only if I'm not a weakling at the sight of blood, suffering, and the like. Plus, science isn't also my strongest subject.

2) Business - I love math and I want to have my own business one day. But I want marketing, and my dad has his reasons for me not taking it.

3) Architecture - I love designing houses, but I can't draw to save my life.

So I was really undecided, and just went with what my dad adviced me to take - finance. As a practical person that he is, he reasons out that it can present various job opportunities for me and at the same time serve as a personal lesson for me to learn how to manage my own money and investments. Yes, all these are true. I'm actually appreciating being a finance graduate more since I've been looking for possible jobs for me in the future. But I guess the problem is if I'm suited to be in this industry/field.. Now that I'm on my last term, I don't know if it's the incompetent professors I've encountered, or my lack of interest in the course itself, or both, that worries me and my future in finance. I'm just mediocre in what I do, no matter how hard I try (and I really try!), unlike others who make it seem effortless to excel. Maybe I'm not as determined or my brain's too small to retain all the necessary information? And all that scares me! In this increasingly competitive world we live in, what if I don't get a job? What if I get a job but I can't deliver? What if I cant support my family? What if I end up as a disappointment to my parents and my future family? What if I become really unlucky and end up living below average? Such questions have been bothering me, but unlike in previous years, I can't shake them off anymore. I'm graduating in a few months, I'm running out of time to figure things out. I have to deal with this and hope I find the right solution - QUICK!!

Her Hair's So Big, It's Full Of Secrets

One thing I observed about myself is that I have numerous ideas, thoughts, opinions, and even conversations going through my head but I don't really get the chance to voice them out. Either because first, I'm shy. I'm not really a girl who exudes confidence. I tend to get insecure too, a girl who wishes she had better features and cares what other people say. It's also not that I have the widest vocabulary or that I don't stutter or slur when I speak, which leads me to being uncomfortable whenever I'm in the spotlight. Lastly, growing up, I was accustomed to being sensitive to other people's feelings. I was never tactless or up-front about my feelings or opinions, and I usually just keep things to myself because I think it's the mature thing to do, and I guess sometimes I get the feeling that people just hear you but not really listen to you. At times, it's not a good thing as it seems like I'm being pushed over as I am not able to voice out my opinions and emotions regarding certain matters. All these concerns hinder me from expressing myself freely, so this is where my "diaries" come in - to be able to "talk" candidly about whatever goes through this head of mine.   

Aside from that, I would also like this blog to document my adventures I would like to remember and share. I'm not exactly new to the blogging world as during my "tween" and teen years, I've been exposed to the world wide web, especially since before, making your own websites and web blogs were a fad. I've had several web blogs that I started but never maintained, from Geocities-Diaryland-Xanga-Blogdrive-Livejournal, wherein I wrote all that went on in my life. For the past couple of months, I've been reminiscing through these pages and the memories (from the not-so-vague entries) all went back to me! So being able to blog about my life's thrills and misadventures would serve as a remembrance for me in the future, especially now since I'm about to embark on a bigger journey which is "the real world" and at the same time transition from a young adult to an adult.

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Just to explain: my blog, "The Alyssa Diaries", is inspired by the fictional character, Carrie Bradshaw, from the books, "The Carrie Diaries" & "Sex and the City" by Candace Bushnell that HBO turned into a hit television series and eventually, into a movie.

Whenever Carrie would have a conversation with her friends or have an experience that struck her earlier that day, she would write about it. So ever since I started watching it (when it was still showing on HBO during my younger years), I have always pictured myself doing the same - pondering in front of a computer or laptop typing what goes on through my mind based on my experiences. By doing so, I would also be able to improve on my writing skills, which will work on my advantage. :)

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So, yeah, there. After I have boringly explained all that, hopefully my succeeding posts would be entertaining enough to read! Haha :)

'Til the next post!