Tall Tales

This is my final 'masterpiece' (as Ma'am Montojo refers to our papers) in Philo 103. One-page essay. We are given six questions and we have to pick one. I chose the 'million-dollar question "If you only have one week left to live, what will you do with your life?"

And after six hours of sitting across a blaring computer screen (five hours of which I spent STARING at the blank document), I manage to come up with this. :)

Back when I was a child, I often dreamt of wishing wells, fairies dancing in the moonlight, pirates aboard an old ship, and wagons flying into the vast purple-tinged night sky. I once believed that the moon is made of cheese and that finding the fountain of youth will grant you a life beyond end. I always believed in magic and fairy tales where the main protagonist lives happily ever after. I believed that if I just kept on hoping, maybe I will live forever too. But then, reality woke me up from my dreams. It showed me the way of the world. Reality taught me that life is not about dreams. Life is all about making things happen. So, I decided to wave at my inner child goodbye and stood up to follow the course of the real world. But even if I followed the flow of realism, I still dream. I dream and I make it happen. I still have more dreams to fulfill, so it will be quite a shock if I will learn that I only have one week more left in my life.

But then again, I realized that I AM already fulfilling my dreams. The dreams I have with me now are mere extensions of my hopes. I may not be living the perfect life but I am contented with what I have now. I have my fair share of life’s ups and downs and I have my family and friends with me. I do not think I have to ask for something more – because as I see it, I already have the best.

So, for the seven remaining days of life, I will live it like any ordinary week. I will still do the same routine and I will try as much as possible not to let others know that it will be my last days with them. I will spend more time with my family. I will do the things I usually do – I’d still listen to the everyday sermons of my grandmother and I will still be the one to wash the dishes. I will continue telling my sister that she is smart and beautiful and that I love her – and that she should be proud of what she is. I’d still argue with my younger brothers on which channel to watch, then we’d wrestle with one another and end up laughing on the couch. I’ll tell my mother again that even if I grew up with my grandmother, she is still the world’s greatest mom. I'd still talk to my dad as if he is just near me, and I will tell him that we will see each other soon.

I will talk to my friends like the way I use to talk to them. I want them to remember me in my last days just the way I am. I will still hug them, but this time, it would be tighter. I will ask them if they still remember my password in Friendster and my other internet accounts so that they can check it every now and then. We are so used on talks like these that I know they’d just shrug their shoulders and then go back on laughing at my silly bangs again.

I'd still hang out at the Webteam office, still visit the ADDU and MPDU forums, still subscribe to Globe Unlimited Texting. I'd still poke fun at Steven and his incredulous 'lovelife', still ask Ray for PhotoShop tips, still put my bag on Andrew's table, and still dream with Karla. I’d still have arguments with Harvey and I will still tease Millie. I’d still laugh with Kokoi, goof around with Chloe, share stories with Ann, procrastinate with Jeng, be Kim’s ‘squishy’, and I’ll sleep one last time at Paola’s house. I’d still raise my hand on Ma’am Montojo’s Philo 103 class and maybe, for a change, I’ll be early for our film viewings with Sir Cayas and I’ll try to stay awake in Sir Nap’s class.

I'd still pray, still paint, still write, still blog, still play my guitar, still throw in corny lines, still talk, still tell stories, still catch raindrops, still count the stars, still drink gallons of coffee, still smile, still laugh, still dream – for life IS a dream. I’d still LIVE. I know I need not to worry about people forgetting me, because the moment you leave a mark on one person’s life, is the beginning of your immortality. And I think I have left enough imprints of myself to the world. I want them to remember me as me, not on my last days, but on how I really am on my lifetime.

I will live life as it is, with no worries until the end.

Because, after all, that is the essence of life – not living the worries – but rather living the moment.