READY OR not, someday it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear. So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived. At the end, it won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant. So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence but your character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone. What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstances but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters. Pinakamahalaga.
SAMUT-SAMOT
‘DI IILANG text sa mga mambabasa ang nagtatanong kung bakit daw lagi kong kinakalkal ang nakalipas. I feel flattered. May mga fan-readers na pala ako. By nature, tunay na sentimental at sensitive pa rin ako. ‘Di dapat kumalas sa nakalipas lalo na sa mga alaalang naghugis ng iyong damdamin at pagkatao. I had a very happy childhood. Ito ay parang ‘sang photo-album na lagi kong binubuksan. Ewan, subalit sa mga ito ako humuhugot ng lakas sa mga hamon, luha at panganib ng katandaan. Mayroong mga alaalang dapat ilibing na sa limot. Totoo. Subalit ang mga ito ay may halaga rin sa ikawawasto ng ating paglalakbay sa buhay.
ANG COMPUTER technology ay ginawa nang obsolete ang encyclopedia at iba pang traditional tools of information and communication. ‘Sang pindot lang at presto! Dalawang encyclopedia firms – Collier at Grolier – ang tuluyan nang nagsara. Nabanggit ko ito sapagkat naging encyclopedia salesman noon ako as a means to finish my college education. Naging insurance salesman din. Explosion of IT is beyond our imagination. The world has been compressed into one global village. A world without borders. Dasal natin, lumiit sa bilang ng mga “have-nots”. Mayayamang bansa ay dapat tumulong sa mga dukhang bansa. Humanity is one.
NAMUMURO NA sa reelection bid next year si Sen. Loren Legarda. Lagi siyang number one sa lahat ng survey. Sa current crop of senators, si Loren ay next to outstanding. Impact legislations sa kapakanan ng mahihirap, distressed at exploited women, migrant workers ang kanyang tinututukan. Sinawimpalad siya sa pagtakbo bilang bise presidente nonng 2010. Maraming nanghihinayang. Subalit ang destiny ay la-ging nariyan.
CHANNEL 7, may programang “Powerhouse” hosted by Mel Tiangco. Featured ang top personalities at kanilang lifestyle sa mansions. Napanood ko kamakailan ang episodes nina Vicki Belo, Ogie Alcasid at Regine Velasquez. Nakakatulo ng laway. Subalit ang pagpakita nito ay kaunting panganib. Sitting ducks na sila sa mga masasamang loob at iba pang tiwaling elemento. Ito’y dudulot din ng inggit at pagkaawa sa sarili ng milyun-milyong mahihirap. Anong palagay n’yo?
DEHADO ANG chances ng paborito kong NBA team – LA Lakers – sa 2012-2013 season. Kalungkot-lungkot na kulelat sila sa ranking ng Pacific Division na ngayo’y pinangungunahan ng L.A. Clippers. Father Time is telling on super-great Kobe Bryant, Direck Fisher at iba pang mga mainstays. At 34, Kobe is not his usual self but terrific pa rin. Mga batang idinagdag need more experience. Tingin ko contenders sa Championship ay Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, at OK Thunder. May konting inside chances pa ang Lakers but they need to play harder.
SAMAKATUWID MAY laban sa Hunyo si Manny Pacquiao. A never-heard Bradley. Ay, biyahe na naman ito. Fund-raising. At maaaring puputaktihin na naman ng mga sindikato. Pacquiao is slowly losing his boxing luster. Daming pinapasukan at pinakikiialaman. OK lang ‘yung new role niya as Bible preacher. Sana’y pag-isipan na niya ang quitting while winning. Alalahanin niya ang kanyang health. Ga-bundok na ang kanyang yaman. He must really think of retirement and focus some of his resources in helping the poor.
MGA TV broadcasters covering impeachment trial have become instant lawyers. I hand it to them. Lynda Jumilla of Channel 2 is a good friend way back in her Inquirer years. She has transformed herself into a great TV analyst.
INUTIL PA hanggang ngayon ang DSWD sa tungkuling pangalagaan ang nanlilimahid at gutom na mga batang lansangan. Katakut-takot na oplans inihahayag tungkol dito. Subalit hanggang press releases lang. Karamihan sa street children ay nagi-ging rugby addicts na upang malabanan ang araw-araw na gutom. Sa maraming lansangan, makikita mo silang may shabung inaapoy sa plastik. Ngunit mga awtoridad lahat bulag, pipi at bingi. Bakit ‘di magmalasakit ang simbahan at mga civic groups? Tinik dapat sa ating konsensya ang suliraning ito. Subalit bakit wala tayong pakialam? Pansariling interes lang tayo. Basic social concern ito na dapat bigyan ng permanenteng lunas.
‘DI SA pagbubuhat ng bangko, may following na ang pitak na ito. Trip daw nila mga nostalgic pieces at samut-samot kahit ilan dito ay pang-aasar at intriga.
PITIK-BULAG
By Ike C. Gutierrez
