Internet Newsletter of the Alumni of Lanao Chung Hua School Vol. 4, No. 12, August 28, 2000, Iligan City, Philippines QUINQUENNIAL GAH Next grand homecoming: July 2005 Alumni who missed the first grand alumni homecoming (GAH) last Aug. 3 to 5 will have their chance to enjoy another such gathering 5 years from now.  The next GAH is set in the third week of July 2005.  This was decided at the consensus meeting on the occasion of the GAH last Aug. 5. The meeting, attended by about 150 alumni, was presided over by Suniel Lim, GAH Steering Committee chairman. The consensus to hold a grand alumni homecoming quinquennially (every 5 years) was arrived at after considerable deliberations by the alumni in attendance.  Henry Dy donates another school bldg. Councilor Henry C. Dy donated a new school building to Barangay Suarez, Iligan City.  Formal turnover was made last Aug. 4 as part of the highlights of the LCHS Grand Alumni Homecoming. It was the fifth school building that Henry Dy donated to the city out of his personal funds.  The turnover ceremony was attended by officers of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc.

EDITORIAL STAFF Charles O. Sy, Editor Henry L. Yu, Associate Editor Correspondents: Iligan - Johnny Chen, Teresita Racines, Vinson Ngo, Roger Suminguit, & Armi Leslie Te. Cebu - Igdono Caracho. Metro Manila - Marie Janiefer Lee. Canada - Peter Dy & Mike Lee. Australia - Leonardo Tan. U.S.A. - Ernesto Yu, Alex Rodriguez, Aurora Tansiokhian, & Alfred Lai II. Founded Aug. 1, 1968. Published fortnightly since its revival on April 15, 1997. Distributed free on the Internet to LCHS alumni and supporters worldwide. Postal address: LCHS Alumni Association, Lanao Chung Hua School, Pala-o, Iligan City, Philippines. Website: http://www.iligan.com/~lchs/alumni/ For subscription, contact: Johnny Chen, Tel. No. (063) 221-3883. Email: johnchen@iligan.com For submission of manuscripts, Email: charlesy@cnms.net

Parents of LCHS students recently banded themselves together and formed the LCHS Parents Association.  The officers of this new association are: Lisa Ang (wife of Charles Ang), president; Sio Te Dy, vp external; Evelyn Racines, vp internal; Alicia Go, secretary; Mike Uy, asst. secretary; James Yu, treasurer; Rufina Racines, asst. treasurer; Gil Lim, auditor; Paul Dinggal, pro internal; and Maribel Echavez, pro external.  In a related development, LCHS-AA officers are discussing the prospects of holding a permanent office in LCHS, to be shared with the LCHS Parents Association. The proposal will be presented to the LCHS Board of Trustees for approval.

New alumni optometrist
By Teresita Racines (Batch '67)

Congratulations to Marjorie Ann M. Dy  (Batch '92) for passing the Optometrist Licensure Examination given by the Board of Optometry recently in Manila. Marjorie is the daughter of alumnus Nelson C. Dy and the granddaughter of alumna Josefina Salvador Dy.

GAH video available soon
By Roger Suminguit (Batch '73)

Video tapes of the GAH will soon be available for order by interested alumni.  The video, available in VHS and VCD formats, covers all major activities of the GAH from Aug. 3 to Aug. 5, 2000.  Interested alumni may make their reservations with Roger Suminguit, GAH Secretariat Office, tel. no. 063-223-1555, e-mail: r_suminguit@mailcity.com; or Suniel Lim, e-mail: boylim@iligan.com.

LCHS celebrates "Linggo ng Wika"
By Armi Leslie Te (LCHS 3rd year student)

A special activity was held last Aug. 18 at the LCHS school grounds.  It was the culmination day of "Linggo ng Wika," during which students and teachers all came in native attire. There were also many parents who took part in the celebration. Among the activities were kite flying contest; sack race; and the most difficult one, the native booth making contest; and many more.  Every level participated. Some parents of pupils in the primary level also joined in to assist their kids in setting up their booth. Using indigenous materials like palm leaves and banana trunks, students tried their best to make their booths beautiful and unique. Despite the rain and physical exhaustion, everyone had a field day, especially with the over-flowing native food, such as crispy litson, suman, paklay, fresh fruits, sinugbang isda, and litson manok.  It was fun day at LCHS with teachers, students and parents celebrating "Linggo ng Wika" with a barrio fiesta.

New Staff Member.   With this issue, we welcome Armi Leslie D. Te (in photo) to the Spectrum staff.  A 3rd year high school student of LCHS, Armi is the first LCHS student to become a member of the alumni-dominated staff.  She will cover activities and events around the LCHS campus.  She is also a reporter of "Campus Beat," a cable TV news program in Iligan. The youngest of three children of Antonio Leo Te (Batch '69) and Lorna Te, Armi is also a member of the Filipino Chinese Catholic Youth, Iligan chapter.  Another LCHS student covering the campus beat for the Spectrum is Jane Dale Racines. A 4th year high school student, Jane Dale is a regular contributor of the Spectrum.

Henry Yu's Column.  Dr. Henry Yu has resumed writing his regular column for the Freeman, one of Cebu City's leading dailies. His column, called "Reservoir," comes out every Monday. Early on, Henry also used to write a column called "Day Break" for the Freeman's Sunday Magazine. Aside from being associate editor of the Spectrum, Henry is also editor of various publications of the Cebu Medical Society and other organizations in Cebu.

Briefs from Down Under.  Leonardo Tan's column, "Briefs from Down Under," will resume in our next issue.  Loloy has opted to leave his column space free for us to accommodate the influx of  materials concerning the recently concluded GAH in this issue.
 

GAH SIDELIGHTS

Behind the Scene.  Unknown to many,  there was one group that contributed a great deal to the success of the recent Grand Alumni Homecoming.  That's the Lanao Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc.  A week before the onset of the GAH, the chamber spent no less than P80,000 for the backfilling and leveling of the LCHS grounds to ease vehicular traffic inside the campus.  Without it, the grounds would have become awfully muddy during the rains.

Unsung Heroes.  There were likewise a few good hands behind the scenes who contributed to the success of the GAH.  They were among the individuals who helped transform the gym into a festive social hall with the colorful decor, or manning the parking area inside the LCHS compound during peak hours, or assisting in the transportation of homecoming alumni. Among them were Roger Suminguit, Edgar Asok, Henry Lagrosas, Reynaldo Suminguit, Prudencio "Wahoy" Tan, Jackson Wong, and Anderson Dy Duran.  The young men and women who made up the Secretariat staff, too, labored relentlessly in manning the Registration Desk for three days and three nights during the GAH. They were Johnny Chen, Marie Josiefel Ello, Steward Co, Jimmy Ang, Jorlyn Sy, Junith Chu and Geraldine Tan of Batch '83 and Batch '87.  They were among the unsung heroes of the GAH.

Talent Showcase.  The recent GAH was also a showcase of unlimited talents among LCHS alumni.  Rodolfo Yu was fantastic in both singing and dancing.  There was also Roberto "Mike" Handumon who won the admiration of many for his song, "Before You Go," during the barrio fiesta. Richard Sy, Ching Sio Eng, and Jesus Dy were a revelation on the dance floor with their expertise in boogie.

Early Birds.  Among the first English teachers to show up at the GAH was Fidel Fuertes.  He was at the LCHS gym on the first day of the GAH.  Former English principal Crisanta Alcover, on the other hand, was the first to arrive for the Gala Night at the ballroom of the Maria Cristina Hotel.

By Ernesto L. Yu, M.D., Batch '65

Cherished as it may, the party is over - the millennial LCHS happening is but streaks of fancy memories, charred ashes of wonderfully charming and cooing fascination somewhere in time. Finito. A realized dream. History.

Flying back from the Philippines to Buffalo - roughing 22 hours of solid torture to my soggy posterior, chowing on packaged cuisine that molds hearts into balls of lard and of seemingly endless moments of scrambling for bathroom privileges - I can't help but replay all the breathless briskness and swooning beauty of the reunion gone by. The morning after.

No question about the dedication and devotion of quality hours among members of the various committees who aimed nothing but a smooth-sailing affair for everyone. I can just drool on the sideline for all the painstaking last minute maneuvers they spent on the drawing board. For what amounted as a rookie investment of time, the alumni officers and all the ancillary help solidified the age-old contentions, "There's strength in unity" and "faith in the force of shared responsibility." Without any watering down, our Grand Alumni Homecoming implanted into me the realization that there is another universe out there populated by friends of my youth, doubly rendered alive by new-found pals, who now rule most of my daydreams. Ay nako po!

I felt light and refreshed after unloading all the buried messages in my heart for all the beautiful mortals in my grade school life (teachers, heroes, idols, dear heart). The chance to air out what amounted to as a thanksgiving afterthought disguised as inspirational talk trimmed some of the treasured secrets that have been brewing in my inner senses, waiting for the rightful occasion to vibrate once and for all. Indeed, it was one exhilarating moment in time to deliver those once-hushed words and seeing the reflections on the eyes of the captured audience (trapped by offer of lunch) that they too absorbed the sincerity, honesty, cheers and love that I was trying to sprinkle into each other's paradise.

Five years from now, the next round of our LCHS reunion, I'll be tipping the mid-fifty scale. Though I should ration my energy during my sunset years, I won't flip a second thought on kissing back the Iligan atmosphere. The killer hours of aimlessness and boredom in the airplane will never be in any equation of my decision process. Not a mission impossible.

After all, you gather more power if you listen to your heart's dictates....

By Marie Janiefer Q. Lee, Batch '87

There are so many songs that could aptly describe that gala night, that culminating affair of that three-day grand reunion.  First, it was a night for all the Dancing Queens -- those not so young but still sweet, though not anymore seventeens. Aside from the Dancing Queens, I was also really amazed at how well the father of one of my classmates dance.  It just never occurred to me that that very serious looking fellow could boogie like a teen-ager.  Actually he could dance better than the teenagers today. I even had to ask my classmate that night if he knew that his dad dances or was it his first time too.

It was a night of "firsts." I think it's the first time on Iligan soil that people really came in "formal" attire.  Though there were still a few who just did not expect it and so came in just in their casual clothes, majority of those who attended showed up in the clothes that they were supposed to.  It was also another first for me to see my own classmate swing those hips, as in Shake her Bon-Bon a la Ricky Martin.  Aside of course from the fact that it was a first time for most people to see a side slit of a gown which was that high.

That night when those heavenly bodies started to grace the dance floor I'm sure a lot of wives out there were already squirming on their seats because all eyes were already focused on those side slits. The women could just watch in envy while the men just couldn't help but stare. Having those great dancers there that night turned that whole affair into a class all it's own. It's nice to know that we have such great dancers in our midst.

Much as everybody wanted the party to last All Night Long, or if there's such a thing as stop the hands of time, it really had to end.  I know a lot of people would have stayed if somebody just asked.  It was shocking to see many people preparing to leave right after the last winning raffle number was called.  The partying should have gone on until morning.

Well, as they say, all good things must come to an end. So all I can say is that the whole GAH was too short, too little time to meet, and catch up with so many people. And hopefully that finale night would somehow be remembered as a night full of fun and not a night of good-byes.

By Henry L. Yu, M.D., Batch '69

"When I think of home, I think of a place
where there's love overflowing …"

Lanao Chinese High School. A name. A legend.  It was, it is, and it will always be HOME to more than a thousand of us graduates all over the world.

The First LCHS Grand Alumni Homecoming was indeed not just a reunion of former classmates, schoolmates, teachers, and friends, but likewise a special occasion for  Iligan's orig families to get together, a family reunion of several alumni who traveled far and wide to be HOME to a place where there is love overflowing. Aside from meeting again those whom we haven't seen for ages, it also brought forth some realizations and reflections about life and living. For one thing, it made us realized that no matter how old we have become chronologically, we are basically the same persons we used to be. In short, it is only our age that moves. At the back of our children's or grandchildren's minds, they must have thought of us as a bunch of unruly and noisy kids, "mga bata-ot og walay buot." Some of them couldn't even believe that at our age and status now, we were still acting like them in one way or the other. Well, dear children, that's the essence of a reunion: a replay of our youth. And we have just made a beautiful rewind.

Biologically, we realized that for now, we could no longer dance tirelessly to the tunes of "Black is Black" or "Bus Stop" without feeling some body aches after, that our appetite for food is no longer that voracious, and that climbing stairs would make us pant no end  or wouldn't be as easy as doing the official LCHSian whistle (still remember that?) any longer. We realized how time really swiftly glides away as if it was only yesterday when we were the reigning teenagers back HOME in jackshirt polos or fishnet stockings, the campus superstars once acclaimed as the jam session prince and princess, the basketball heroes, or the flawless majorettes. Time indeed is running short. Now Showing: The Lost Horizon. And along with it, our lost youth, the changing enthusiasm and vitality. Yet, deep within us, we insist and try hard to feel like we are still the homegrown Iliganon kids of the 60s, who used to roam around the city in short pants with matching green Spartan rubber slippers, eating tira-tira or maruya, chewing Texas bubble gum, or blowing plastic balloons, who found ultimate pleasure with the little and simple things that life could offer at that time of our youth and innocence.

Seeing former classmates and friends was indeed a joy beyond compare, they who, after all these many years, have grown wise, lengthwise, sidewise, or otherwise, with silvery hair here, there, and everywhere, of the receding variety, some with mustache, skin blemishes, prominent laugh lines, others wearing eyeglasses. These plus our aging minds made us think twice, or even thrice, as to who's this and who's that. Oh well, we all have grown up and matured in more ways than one. Pero, guapo og guapa pa gihapon. And that's a fact beyond reasonable doubts. O, di ba?

Among those who came HOME for their own family reunions were the kids of:  Dy Un Soy,  Ang Suan Em,  Acme Auto Supply,  Ang Han Tiong,  Henry Go, Sr. (William Lines), Dy Cham Shoe Store,  Siao Ching Tin, Hong Yao Trading, Tin Lu Sing Shoe Palace,  San Cha Trading, Tropical Commercial,  Pasing’s Grocery,  the Bernardos, the Handumons,  among many others. For always, we were identified with the names of our parents or stores. And that's because we really wouldn't have been what we are today if not of our parents, our stores, our school, and our teachers. Well, we were all there in attendance, all accounted for, ever ready with our "taw" when our names were called during the role call in class. Just like the good old days, remember?

Personally, I feel victorious because I was able to meet again those whom I haven't seen for a long while – my idols, my fascinations, my inspirations of yesteryears – they who have been very much a part of my youth , they who still hold dear in my memory, whenever I think of HOME, a place where there is love overflowing.

A walkathon tour with the Gos (Sammy, Jane, Henry, Mario, and Fedo) around the city, courtesy of Joselyn "Angkaw" Ang,  made me realized that Iligan, after all these decades, hasn't really changed that much except for some new buildings, business establishments, new names for old streets, and certain things that have taken their toll through time and space. The ever peaceful Chinese Cemetery is still there, the very place where I cried a river forty-four years ago, on November 5, l956, when my ama died. PNB still stands untarnished with time, and so is the original locations of Rural Bank, the Fire Department, the Police Station, Iligan Plaza, St. Michael's Cathedral, Lian Guan Trading, Sen Hua Trading, Asia Store, Ludo Luym Building, Premier Theatre, SenTay Seng, Kim San, Lanao Milling, and a lot more of those "old familiar places that this heart of mine embraces all day through," those places which have been part of my growing years in the city of Iligan, the place where I left my heart in the 70s when our family was uprooted to Cebu.

Looking back, the 3-day star-studded affair, was, in any angle, well worth our 3 Ts – of Time, Treasure, and Talents. Coming HOME to the city of our youth and young dreams was indeed the best thing that ever happened to our lives in this new millennium, as loyal alumni of LCHS of which we shall forever be. Together, we take a bow and say "I Shall Return" (not necessarily the Mac Arthur way) to a  HOME, to a place where there is love overflowing. See you all 5 years from now. Prayerfully. Hopefully. In His Time.

What do you expect to see from a place one left behind thirty four years ago?  Of course, a great deal of significant changes -- especially for a city like Iligan, considered one of the rising cities. For a homecomer, somehow there is a fervent wish to meet and see some familiar faces and places.

Drawn back to join the GAH, I, together with Wilkie (my favorite companion) excitedly and worriedly (for Wilkie, who pictures Iligan as a troubled spot; so I have to drag him to see the place for himself) departed from our base here in Dumaguete to Cebu, then to Cagayan de Oro where we fetched my sister Elizabeth (Batch ‘68), and then proceeded to Iligan.  Not so few a time I had been passing Iligan on our way to Cagayan de Oro but I didn't really bother to stop and while away. I noted the transformation but since it was always a hurried trip to reach our destination, there was no interest to relate.

But in this particular trip I had all the time to penetrate the place. So I did a recall exercise which I miserably failed.  So with Zabeth. Obviously a mid-life crisis.  The first thing that we did after checking in at our hotel was to locate my Aunt's place. It took us some considerable time to get to the place. The address given to us was quite vague. Meeting my aunt and uncle after many years of separation left me some ambivalent thoughts to ponder as a parent now.  Both of them are handicapped by the complications of diabetes.

As we left my aunt's place, it never crossed my mind that we were already in the vicinity of the old campus. All along I thought they have transferred to another area after their house (where I and my siblings lived then) got burned. So I told Wilkie and Zabeth that we were going to the old campus the following day.

Early morning, from the hotel we hiked to the place we presumed was Roosevelt St., which we later realized had been renamed Labao St. We hesitated upon reaching the bridge since I remember it to be longer than its present span. By chance, Robert Co saw us and supplied the direction. We reached the campus and to my dismay I could not make out any trace of my Alma Mater. There were only a few pine trees left, the last remaining  mementos of what was once Lanao Chinese High School.

The most enjoyable part of the trip was recollections and reconnecting ties with batch mates and schoolmates.  Guat-li (Gloricita R. Kinnan) was a perfect host (thank you very much, my friend) for providing us the transportation to helping me recall those familiar yet unrecognizable countenances. Time indeed changes, from hairlines to waistlines and even the topics and subjects of the conversations -- ranging variedly from the children's schooling to the economic situation to the medicines being maintained.

The homecoming was very fulfilling, an achievement of the hardworking organizers, from Chairman Boy Lim to the working committees. Personally, I feel the reunion could have been more meaningful if there was still the old LCHS campus. Nonetheless, the structures may not be there anymore but thanks to Eddie (Leonardo Tan) and Henry Yu, for their descriptive articles in the Spectrum, from where I was able to piece and string together whatever figments were left in my memory and shaped a vivid picture as clear as the  photographs from the pages of the GAH souvenir program.

Certainly, I will not wait for the next GAH to visit Iligan and get lost again. Come vacation time, I'll challenge my sons to conquer Tinago Falls the second time around -- arthritis permits.

(Editor's Note: Emma Yap Matiao (Batch '66) was a member of the Spectrum staff of 1968. She finished Journalism at the Silliman University.  She now lives in Dumaguete City with her husband Wilkie and their children.)

The Grand Alumni Homecoming was for me a most exhausting yet, definitely, enjoyable trip.

I traveled from Cotabato to Manila, and to Valenzuela City (where I visited my only daughter Jennifer with her month-old baby dragon boy); back to Manila, then to Cagayan de Oro.  A million thanks to my everlasting friend Florcita Tiu -- her husband Ben Sy, and brod Rene Tio -- and her pretty daughter Cathy who toured us the whole day in Cagayan de Oro.  And then on to Iligan with Ben and Florcita. Thanks to my kind brod Marcing & Ellen for free board & lodging, as well as Johnny & Nelly for the service in going back & forth to our GAH venue!

A jet load of thanks to everyone who gave me and my sister Ricarda a warm welcome upon our arrival at the GAH!  To Buffalo Ernie (the first to recognize me), next came Charley, Toto, Roger, Bonton, Henry Yu, Boy Te, Johnny, Janiefer Lee, Rudy, Terry, Fe, Sio Te, Khing, Mimi Siao, Angkaw, Suniel, Greg & Peter Dy, Miguel (as Mike now) and to the rest of the GAH staff ... THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

I'm terribly touched by their smiling faces, many of whom I had not seen for ages and could hardly recognize without their name tags.  But what a feeling to be back at LCHS where I formed lifelong friendships. It was a great pleasure to have met once more our grown up professional friends, schoolmates and classmates, like the generous councilor Henry Dy, Johnson, Alberto and Fernando, who were with us in our batch on the night of the Class Reunions, along with Lilia Chua, Le Tin, Pancing, Charmaine, Manuel, Glicerio, Antonio, Ernie & my dearest brod Marcing (with his wife Ellen, who helped me a lot during my ups & downs after my husband passed away 20 years ago (until now they remain as helpful as ever). A million thanks to all of you!

Oh! Friends I treasure! It's such a real comfort to be able to see each other again and talk the depth of our heart once more with such long lost friends. At last my life-long dream became reality! The joy I felt when we all met each other seemed as though we never separated. Uhmm ... holding the hands of my dear old friends was so precious. That I will cherish forever! And the dance?  Yes, my first and second dances with Greg and Boy were equally memorable! Wait for our next meeting -- I'll be a good dancer by then, because next time I'm going to take up dancing lesson (kung hindi ko makalimutan mag-aral magsayaw!)

The trip to Tinago Falls was so wonderful -- what with a group like sis Ricarda, Emma, Wilkie, Gloricita, Elizabeth, A-E, Fernando, Dodo, Boy, Bonton, Roger, Flor, etc. I'll collect our funny photographs for they are the memorable things that I can bring out of the closet to make me laugh whenever I'm feeling low.

I will look at our photographs, I will laugh and I will remember all the precious moments we shared together, including my picture with Charles Sy. Thanks, Charles -- I can imagine the minute you took the microphone and started to speak at the grand ball... I could really see the faces of the audience transformed! They would look at you in that ecstatic way and they would keep on laughing -- as I would laugh even if I'm alone in front of my computer. Ha-ha-ha! Congratulations!  I am so grateful indeed for the love and care of all my friends of LCHS, the GAH committee and the Spectrum staff. See you all again sometime soon!

It was at the Cebu International Airport that my heart began to pound.  My eyes began to water, and I covered them.  I was crying.  Crying like a newborn baby, freezing and seeing the world through it's tiny eyes.  My emotions had built up.  I couldn't stand it any more. I was tired of trying to hide the way I felt.  I was homesick.

Though I live in Texas and was mostly raised there, it was in Cebu where I took my first steps, said my first words, saw my parents for the first time.  It's my hometown, my birthplace, and leaving it just made me feel so depressed and unhappy.

We had stayed in Cebu for two weeks.  Too bad not longer because of school starting.  I had seen my uncles, aunts, cousins, my grandma -- everyone that I had dreamed of meeting beefore.  For once, this vacation was something I really enjoyed.  We didn't have to wake up early to go to an amusement park or go to a tour.  We didn't have to worry about back home because Cebu was already one of them.  One of our homes.

My relatives at the airport tried making me feel relax, to make me feel less unhappy.  Guess what?  It didn't work.  Whatever they did -- pat my back, smile, try to see the bright side of things -- it just didn't make me feel better.  I was miserable.

There were so many reasons why I cried.  I cried because I wouldn't see my family for such a long time.  Months, years, who knows?  I cried because I felt bad for my grandmother.  I hadn't spent much time with her during the past two weeks.  We didn't really even have a real conversation.  I was too hooked up on my cousins.  I was scared that the only way I could see her again, was to look up at the sky ... the clouds.  I cried because I had such a great time, and now had to leave it all behind.  Just think of it as a memory and not a present event.  I cried because I wouldn't be able to hear my cousins' voice in a long time, only read them on a computer screen.  I wouldn't be able to play dolls with them or go to McDonalds to eat ice cream.  They weren't there at the airport so I wouldn't be able to see them smile one last time.  I cried because I loved my uncles and aunt so much, and didn't want to leave them at all.  They had really made my trip worthwhile.  I cried because all these emotions inside of me burst.  I couldn't stand it anymore.

As I said my last good-byes to my relatives, I looked at each of their faces one last time, and thought "Gee, I'm going to miss you so much."  I walked up the ramp, thinking about all the good times I had back home.  And how I would never forget this trip, because every time I go back to Cebu, it won't be like this one.  One trip is never like the last one.  It always changes because of its people, its places, and its memories.

I did not realize how many of my friends and classmates in LCHS are still or now singles until I met them in person during the GAH. Singles who have never been married or single parents (widow and widower). Welcome to the club!

"So, why are you still single? Or what happened to you? Do you ever wanna get married again?" And maybe, silently in the shopping mall of one's inquisitive mind, raised the question of sexuality: "Are you gay?" And so on and so forth.  Curious minds want to know!

Whatever the reasons are, it's private -- do NOT judge the book by its cover. Life is full of mysteries and uncertainties. There's no 100% guarantee that it would turn out the way you always want it to be. You can only try as humanly as possible and hope for the best.  People have different destinies in life, different fields of endeavor, different degrees of achievements.  So, whether you're single or married, for as long as you're happy and content with what you do and what you have in life, that's what counts the most. After all, it is YOUR life, YOUR future -- navigate it and aim to be happy wherever it may take you. But expect some turbulence along the way.

So, what's wrong with being single?  Marriage is not a solution to life's emptiness syndrome nor a security blanket for those who need one.  So why does everybody drag your feet to get wet once you hit 30-40 and older? Time race? But the question is: "Are you ready to swim?" Or why do people stereo-type the kids of single parents to grow up with psychological traumas? Since when on earth did we get a "fly one, get one free offer" all the time? To all those "solo flyers":  Pat your back! I know how it is to be one.

I won't deny that life as being single can be lonesome at times and monotonous (set daily routines) -- a structured life especially as you're getting up higher on the hill. Sometimes the world of wonder conquests the mind and spirit. It travels to the world of imagination and fantasy land. At times it can be frustrating to solve the puzzle alone and stay firm, as hard as a rock especially in making major decisions in life -- to balance the equilibrium. An occasional feeling of envy or self-pity: "Why nobody loves me?" The fear of commitment. The fear of defeat, public criticism, ostracism and humiliation that can be devastating to the self-esteem of a single person. Who really knows what's inside the tunnel?

But the cheery part is you can be just yourself, you don't have to answer to anybody, you can do what you want, you can have your own time -- you're FREE like an eagle! And for those of us who have children: You've sailed alone and fought with high tide and big waves, and landed in the white, sunny beach -- wake up, honey bun! I'm proud of you!

Announcement:   A new batch of GAH photos is now available for viewing and downloading at the LCHS web site.  Once logged on, click on "Photos of the Grand Homecoming" on this web site: http://www.iligan.com/~lchs/alumni/