The Past 20 Years

What do you tell someone you haven't seen in almost 20 years?!!

Because of Facebook, I’ve been getting reconnected with a whole lot of people from my past. Especially people I’ve been really close to before: a best friend in grade school & my first ever barkada. The funny thing is I’m so green with envy that life now finds them, friends to each other. (& it’s me who’s gotten lost along the way!!). Although that shouldn’t surprise me, after all, I do keep moving from place to place hence keeping friendships & making them last is a challenge (see old blog entry: Forever Friends). Yet its touching how they were just talking about me over the weekend (& were wondering where I was). Now, that had me teary-eyed. I know I’m all sweet & friendly & malambing, but I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m not an easy person to (really!) get to know. Especially way back in grade school & high school. I remember that as the awkward years. I was overly emotional & sensitive then, & going through the usual teen-age angst. So if I don’t have fond memories of myself way back then, I wonder how my friends remember me?

And so, even though its not easy to look back after what one has been up to all these years, here’s what I’d like to tell them about me to “catch up for lost time”:
* Took up AB Psychology in Ateneo de Manila. Loved my course & wouldn’t have had it any other way. I’ve been an HR professional for the past 14 years.

* Studying & growing up in Manila, after a very sheltered home life in my younger years, has made me the fiercely, independent person that I am. I’ve lived in Cebu, Davao, and Manila & shuttled back & forth over these places (uprooted myself 8x!) in my lifetime. For now though, I call Cebu home.

* I was active in the theater in college & acted in several school plays, & even signed up for a short stint with a PETA theater group (they’d find this interesting coz I was so actively involved in school theater productions in GS & HS). Sadly, I haven’t acted in the theater fro the longest time. Which is probably why I love being in Toastmasters! (But more of that later!)

* I worked as a teacher for 4 years (1 year as a Filipino teacher in HS, & 3 years teaching Grade 2 Boys = 2 of these as a Guidance Counselor). I loved teaching (though the hours & hard work was something else! Teaching really is a vocation!)! My parents also convinced me I had to go find a real job (after spending for my very expensive college education!). I still count my years in teaching as part of my HR experience though coz this is where I got my facilitation, training design & “platform” skills.

* My HR jobs have mostly been in Training and Organizational Development. What I love most about being in HR & particularly in Training is that the job is never routine. It’s always new, you get to meet new people, & I find meaning in my work (helping people be skilled in the work they do, & helping the company cope with changing workforce needs). It’s both strategic/macro & individual at the same time. I’ve been fortunate to have worked for very good companies: Sacred Heart School for Boys(1yr), Ateneo de Manila Grade School(3), Straightway(1), Aboitiz(5), Lexmark(5), now as a Training Manager with Innodata, a BPO/KPO company.

* I’m a mother as well! I have a 7-year old daughter; & a 9-year old son (he has autism & being a mother of a child with special needs has, in a large way, defined my life & who I am). It’s too much to summarize in one line, I could write a whole speech, even a whole book about this.

* Speaking of kids! About love. I remember I was always reading romance novels (started in Grade3! imagine, & read tons in high school). I don’t read them anymore (that should tell you something; I’m still a voracious reader-other genre-,finishing a book a week). I was married, for almost 10 years. It didn’t work out, & I’m still, in a sense, bitter about it, but believe me, I am so glad it’s finally over & that I’m finally free.

* I still sing! Well, at least any chance I get. I still join the occasional singing contest (& win something, though not the top prize); at company programs & at other events (like I said, any chance I get!). Singing will always be something I’m good at, but not something I could do professionally (I wish!)

* My parents now live in the States(California), my eldest sister in Washington(USA), another sister in Greece, & I still live with my youngest sister in Cebu (but she & her family will soon be migrating to Canada). So I’m officially stuck as the Philippine delegation. (Fine by me, as long I get to receive any foreign currency!).

* I’m passionate about Toastmasters! Been a member for 10 years now, & joined several (& won!) speech contests. So those elocution contests in GS & HS did pay off! I go to a Toastmasters club meeting (different clubs) at least once a week. Personal highs were winning at these speech contests: 1st-runner up at a District (national) Humorous Speech Contest (yup, me! Making other people laugh!); championship at the Prepared/ Entertaining Speech Category (District Level); & 1st runner-up Triathlon Speech Contest (3 speech categories: Impromptu, Singing & Prepared Speech). Toastmasters is also about leadership, & not just communication. I also served as Area Governor & Division Governor for Cebu.

* I’ve been blessed to have made several good friends in my life over the past 20 years. There’s Niel (used to be my student in HS-my 1st job; now my best friend. Hey I’m just 5years older than him! & he’s gay). Still go out with the college barkada when I’m in Manila. I have friends I’ve made in Aboitiz who I still get to hang out from time to time (Welda, Tim, the Timbukto tribe, friends I’ve made in Aboitiz Toastmasters); Lexmark friends; friends I’ve made in Toastmasters; & I still get surprised that, at my old age(!), I still get to make new friends who keep me sane (Edmund!). So yes, when my sis complains that I’m always out with friends, well, it’s because it’s a different set of friends each time!

* I became a Christian in College. This was a life-defining moment for me, & being a Christian has made me accept & cherish the many things that have happened to me in my life.

* I still have a lot of extracurricular activities! I’m always making plans & working on so many personal projects. I love to write & blog (obviously!) & am a member of so many organizations (work related & non-work related!).

Okay! Rereading over everything I’ve written in the past few minutes has made me realize that what I’ve written here can be something that could be read at my wake. But since I do plan on living to a ripe old age (God willing of course), I sure do plan to do so many things & have so many things to write about before I kick the bucket. Suffice to say, its nice to know that well, I did have a grand old time the past 20 years, & hope to live a grander time still for the next 20 more!