I always approach the page afraid. I am afraid that once I begin typing the words, I'd see my walls crumble. Then my words would reveal me. This blank page always asks too much, strips me down any cover until vulnerable. But courage is a muscle, they say, and there's no other way to know... Continue Reading →
When we lost our mom, I felt like a tub of ice cream. I know it's a lame metaphor. But I exactly felt this way: The universe scooped a part of me and left there a gaping hole. That scoop can never be replaced, and thus that hole will forever be there. The days after... Continue Reading →
Mid-2019, I crossed a street and got hit by an overtaking jeepney. The whole vehicle--from front to back--passed over me, albeit none of its wheels ran over any part of my body. Its right front wheel, however, struck my ankle. The impact tore the tissues between my tibia and fibula and left a tiny crack... Continue Reading →
"Every time an old person dies, it's like a library burning down." - Alex Haley Weeks ago, Scribblory commenced a "5-Day Memoir Challenge" on Facebook and Instagram. It is quite akin to the "7-Day Book Challenge" albeit this one (1) runs for five days, (2) is limited to one genre--which is memoir, and (3) requires... Continue Reading →
Most of my treasured memories are from childhood. As far as I remember, I was that naughty, brave, and curious child. Every day, I would be busy tinkering, creating, and making mess around the house. My parents gave me freedom to explore as much as I wanted to--as long as I would do after-care, of... Continue Reading →
What does carnal mean? By dictionary's definition, carnal means "bodily" or "corporeal." OK? So what is a "carnal writer" then? I am borrowing the term from the exquisite memoirist and author of The Art of Memoir, Mary Karr. I actually attempted to explain what she meant by "carnal writing" on Chapter 5 of my memoir... Continue Reading →
"Pa, what makes the sky blue?" I was looking up at it from the car window while we whizzed past the things underneath it. "Depth, like the ocean. Infinity," was Papa's answer. When Papa was a young farmhand, he would gaze with awe at the heavens while lying on the flat of a huge boulder... Continue Reading →
Some people find it uncomfortable to share personal stories. One, they value their privacy and prefer to keep most things close to their chest. Two, they don't want to look like a fame-chaser or a narcissist. Three, why should people care? Some people don't feel important enough to be heard. All of us are, in... Continue Reading →
Muse is unpredictable. It comes and goes as it pleases, and you're most unfortunate if it does in the wrong time--comes in the shower, in an ungodly hour, or in the car while you can't stop to pen an idea; then leaves at the precise time your laptop opens to MS Word, once you hold... Continue Reading →
Do you believe that you are a natural storyteller? "Human beings are embedded in their stories," Jason Silva of Shots of Awe said, "The human race--who we are--is a story. We are a narrative. Mind is a narrative." Every day, your mind runs with words. The world breathes with information. Wherever you look, you see... Continue Reading →
