“A teacher teach, a chef cook, a nurse takes care of the sick and a writer writes.” Each has to do what one has to do. Each has the right to aspire and pursue what one wanted to be. These are the motivations that gave birth to this blog a year ago, today.
I’ve always wanted to express myself with words. My propensity to communicate ideas is my way of trying to make sense of everything. I discovered that confronting life’s issues are better by the use of words. It almost makes tangible the yearnings of the soul. And by speaking one’s own mind paves the way to better understand oneself. Also writing can be therapeutic. It can be a liberating experience once you were able to express the profound thoughts and make sense out of the incomprehensible. Because of these, I wanted to be a writer more than anything else.
It took me a long time before I got into actual writing since my education (I was into science and medicine) veered away from my true passion. Yes, I have been writing privately and not on a regular basis. But thanks to blogging, aspiring writers or those simply wanted to be heard, has now an avenue for free expression. Despite my limitations, I had enough courage to get into actual writing. I still have a long-way to go in my quest to be fulfilled as a writer. Yet having started this blog last year was a giant step ahead to where I wanted to be.
A year’s journey through this blog was tedious since I had to attend to more urgent matters such as making a living. I had to cramp in so little time left for me to hone this craft. I could have posted more, if only I had more time allowed me to engage in this endeavor. So far, I never experience what they call writer’s bloc. It is perhaps still too early for me to suffer that. There seems to be so much for me to write about. But time is of the essence.
Another major struggle for me is the technical aspect of writing. Being bilingual (English and Tagalog) and lacks the formal training in writing, I have to watch closely my grammar and spelling. I admit being a poor speller but thanks to MS Word application’s auto-spelling verification as a remedy for this difficulty. But the reliability stops there. I wouldn’t trust the auto-grammar verification, which oftentimes in my experience more detrimental than helpful to my writing.
Moreover, being an amateur, I struggle through the unwritten rules of propriety when it comes to ‘what has to be said and what is not’ and ‘how to say them’ without inciting disapproval. But this issue brings me to the most crucial challenge I have to face to be a consummate writer— that is to overcome my fear of judgment. A writer has to be confident to stand on what he writes about. He has to be ready to face dissenting opinions and views that are contrary to his position. He has to be willing to explore the possibilities beyond what is acceptable and popular without being too radical as to go against the grains of morality. Likewise, he has to be always honest and transparent in what he writes. He must be ever willing to accept correction from readers and admit to any misinformation. Afterall, he owes the truth to his readers.
After a year, I still have a lot of hesitations regarding my writing primarily because I am still afraid to be judged or rejected. A sense of inadequacy still plagues me everytime I publish a post. And yes, I still feel ashamed when I promote this blog as if I was desperate for readership. I feel I was trying too hard to get people to read me despite their disinterest. While these may be partly true, I believe that there were those who had read my posts do think I have the potential. A few of them actually told me so, like my high school batch-mates: Charlton Cauton, Jonji Martinez, Julius Ceasar Sotto and the rest of the Baste H.S. Class ‘86 whom I connected to in Facebook. To them thank you very, very much. Their appreciation means so much to me. I can not thank enough those who let me post their personal photos to grace the pages of this blog: Rowena Chua, Primo Betanio, Mel Nuguid, Sonny Pablo, Sherwin Moreno, Eric Ernest A. Ligon, M.D., Jonjon Logarta and Dr. Earl Galupo. My thanks to my dear friend: Rolyn D. Viaje, M.D. for her unfailing moral support. Special gratitude goes to my followers: Maricar S. Santos, M.D., my bestfriend and constant inspiration; and Nemet Reyes, my Kumpare (buddy) both I coerced into registering. Hehe! To Itch, Peejay, Toshi and Maylene who themselves may had registered here by accident, thank you! And to those who remain anonymous but had visited here, I am honored by your presence.
Ultimately, I have to believe in myself. There is nothing like nurturing one’s own inner strength. And just like the mythical Firebird (a.k.a. Phoenix), to whom this blog was titled after, “it burns itself and rose back from the ashes.” In this same spirit should I be inspired to keep on. I could only learn from the experiences of the past year. I have to strive to be better, be resilient through every challenge and resolute in my decisions.
The flight of the Firebird is seemingly solitary at the moment and the light of the Divine Flame (title of my other blog at http://dan-flame.blogspot.com) is quiet dim for now. Yet if I am willing to learn better, work harder and to journey longer through this endeavor, maybe soon flocks shall accompany the Firebird as it soars into the horizon and the Divine Flame shall carry the torch of enlightenment to others— these are if I will be able to give every reader good, sound and honest writings worthy of their time and effort.
Happy 1st Anniversary, Firebird! http://danflame.blogspot.com/
And God abide with the Divine Flame! http://dan-flame.blogspot.com/
I’ve always wanted to express myself with words. My propensity to communicate ideas is my way of trying to make sense of everything. I discovered that confronting life’s issues are better by the use of words. It almost makes tangible the yearnings of the soul. And by speaking one’s own mind paves the way to better understand oneself. Also writing can be therapeutic. It can be a liberating experience once you were able to express the profound thoughts and make sense out of the incomprehensible. Because of these, I wanted to be a writer more than anything else.
It took me a long time before I got into actual writing since my education (I was into science and medicine) veered away from my true passion. Yes, I have been writing privately and not on a regular basis. But thanks to blogging, aspiring writers or those simply wanted to be heard, has now an avenue for free expression. Despite my limitations, I had enough courage to get into actual writing. I still have a long-way to go in my quest to be fulfilled as a writer. Yet having started this blog last year was a giant step ahead to where I wanted to be.
A year’s journey through this blog was tedious since I had to attend to more urgent matters such as making a living. I had to cramp in so little time left for me to hone this craft. I could have posted more, if only I had more time allowed me to engage in this endeavor. So far, I never experience what they call writer’s bloc. It is perhaps still too early for me to suffer that. There seems to be so much for me to write about. But time is of the essence.
Another major struggle for me is the technical aspect of writing. Being bilingual (English and Tagalog) and lacks the formal training in writing, I have to watch closely my grammar and spelling. I admit being a poor speller but thanks to MS Word application’s auto-spelling verification as a remedy for this difficulty. But the reliability stops there. I wouldn’t trust the auto-grammar verification, which oftentimes in my experience more detrimental than helpful to my writing.
Moreover, being an amateur, I struggle through the unwritten rules of propriety when it comes to ‘what has to be said and what is not’ and ‘how to say them’ without inciting disapproval. But this issue brings me to the most crucial challenge I have to face to be a consummate writer— that is to overcome my fear of judgment. A writer has to be confident to stand on what he writes about. He has to be ready to face dissenting opinions and views that are contrary to his position. He has to be willing to explore the possibilities beyond what is acceptable and popular without being too radical as to go against the grains of morality. Likewise, he has to be always honest and transparent in what he writes. He must be ever willing to accept correction from readers and admit to any misinformation. Afterall, he owes the truth to his readers.
After a year, I still have a lot of hesitations regarding my writing primarily because I am still afraid to be judged or rejected. A sense of inadequacy still plagues me everytime I publish a post. And yes, I still feel ashamed when I promote this blog as if I was desperate for readership. I feel I was trying too hard to get people to read me despite their disinterest. While these may be partly true, I believe that there were those who had read my posts do think I have the potential. A few of them actually told me so, like my high school batch-mates: Charlton Cauton, Jonji Martinez, Julius Ceasar Sotto and the rest of the Baste H.S. Class ‘86 whom I connected to in Facebook. To them thank you very, very much. Their appreciation means so much to me. I can not thank enough those who let me post their personal photos to grace the pages of this blog: Rowena Chua, Primo Betanio, Mel Nuguid, Sonny Pablo, Sherwin Moreno, Eric Ernest A. Ligon, M.D., Jonjon Logarta and Dr. Earl Galupo. My thanks to my dear friend: Rolyn D. Viaje, M.D. for her unfailing moral support. Special gratitude goes to my followers: Maricar S. Santos, M.D., my bestfriend and constant inspiration; and Nemet Reyes, my Kumpare (buddy) both I coerced into registering. Hehe! To Itch, Peejay, Toshi and Maylene who themselves may had registered here by accident, thank you! And to those who remain anonymous but had visited here, I am honored by your presence.
Ultimately, I have to believe in myself. There is nothing like nurturing one’s own inner strength. And just like the mythical Firebird (a.k.a. Phoenix), to whom this blog was titled after, “it burns itself and rose back from the ashes.” In this same spirit should I be inspired to keep on. I could only learn from the experiences of the past year. I have to strive to be better, be resilient through every challenge and resolute in my decisions.
The flight of the Firebird is seemingly solitary at the moment and the light of the Divine Flame (title of my other blog at http://dan-flame.blogspot.com) is quiet dim for now. Yet if I am willing to learn better, work harder and to journey longer through this endeavor, maybe soon flocks shall accompany the Firebird as it soars into the horizon and the Divine Flame shall carry the torch of enlightenment to others— these are if I will be able to give every reader good, sound and honest writings worthy of their time and effort.
Happy 1st Anniversary, Firebird! http://danflame.blogspot.com/
And God abide with the Divine Flame! http://dan-flame.blogspot.com/
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