Nostalgia

The weigh-scale brought me good news today; it tipped at 196.5 lbs., my best sub-200 weight this year. I consider it an accomplishment given that I have been watching what I put through the piehole, have allowed myself to be dragged out of bed by Grace in the morning or be made to miss Jeopardy in the evening to go on four to six mile walks by the river twice or three times a week. It's the first of September and if I loose 4.5 more pounds by months end, I would be at my ideal weight according to the BMI table (age-gender-height formula ek-ek by some number crunching nutritionist/physiologist/nutjob authorities on the "best" ratios for us inflatable humans).

These types of perspective ruin being a grown-up, you know. The lack of care or awareness of consequences is what made being young so delightful to reminisce. We were all like small boats that turned and tumbled on the waters surface, enjoying every bump, reacting to the now, savoring the wind and sunshine, disregarding the scratches and pain. Adulthood happens and we move like big ships; plan every turn, anticipate obstacles, finding reasons why not rather than acting on impulse.

Remember that expression about seeing the world through the eyes of a child? It's cliche'd to death but that's why we're all thrilled with SARDS' annecdotes and JEVIE's childhood vignettes. They open windows for those childhood eyes to see how we all were once. The forays to the forbidden BROWN-BLACK BEACH, the KALITS that went on until you can't even see the cashew nuts in the dark, the GENG-GENG hunts after the rain so we can make them fight to death on a cocunut stick, the MABOLOS, SAMPIREWAN, SLUMBOOKS (old-school Facebook/Friendster), KUNDILINGS, GREEN-REVOLUTION, PERLA/BULAWIT Christmas Trees, BAWET, IGAR, SILAG/SINAMIT, SANITARY CORNER.......etc. If these don't trigger nostalgia, you never had a Malasiqui childhood.

Our longing for those times is actually enhanced by fear and worry of the present. Issues of safety, family security, health, child care, quality time and freedom have distanced us from those blissful events of our youth, and we imagine them to be better than they actually were.

But I resolve to stop thinking like an old man. Now is tomorrows subject of nostalgia. I'll enjoy the present so I can romanticize its memory tomorrow. Dieting is fun, sunrise/sunset walks are rejuvenating, writing blogs is cleansing, etc....

And tomorrow I'll try to enjoy thinking about my kids' college education!

Hail to imagination! (delusion?)


Mon