Ooh-oo child...

Argh… I feel lousy. I have a ton of stuff to do, including cel updating but have no motivation at all to do it. It’s probably because I’m sick again and this Chicago weather is just brutal. Actually that’s not true, we’ve actually had a break from biting cold weather of January for the last few weeks. It’s only this week that it’s going back to normal…

You know I grew up in a tropical country, cool rain, bright sun, lush forest and warm sand under my feet. It was paradise and the place of my grandparents have pretty much been preserved because it is a tourist spot. Yes there are many tourist which probably adds to waste but all in all, it’s done really well the past twenty years. The preservation of marine life is going well and the coral reefs too. When I was younger of course it was better, no little tourist huts were in place, no big busses coming in to disturb the peace, everyone made their living from fishing instead of providing hospitable services. It was a quaint country life I guess which I treasured because I didn’t live there. I was actually one of the city kids who just happen to have been raised there as a child and came back every summer for the yearly retreat.

Well what’s funny is now, it still pretty much the same… Instead of a small quaint town in Anilao, Batangas, I visit the Philippines almost yearly. Instead of living in Metro Manila, I live in Chicago USA. I’d say I’ve done better for myself, I really would, except that once in a while I miss my old life of complete freedom and abandonment. But memories of childhood or the teen years are often much prettier to us who’s painstakingly learned that there are bills to pay, food to put into our mouths and maybe others. That in order to enjoy something, you have to give up something, unless of course you are one of the lucky ones who has none of these concerns. When I was younger all I ever wanted to do was grow up. When I was in school, all I wanted was to get it over with. Now I’m done with all that, after wishing to see the world I find that the allure of the simple is much stronger and more satisfying. I remember an old saying and forgive me if I don’t quote if perfectly but… <i>As we age, we spend a lot of time building walls around ourselves, only to spend the rest of our lives tearing it down.</i> It may not seem apt but when viewed in the context of how I wished for life complexities to come faster be more responsible, taste the better things in life, perhaps it would makes sense now that I want nothing else than to just live like a child, carefree with eyes that always looked on with wonder.

I love the song below. :P Hope you guys know what it is.

<i>Ooh-oo child
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh-oo child
Things'll get brighter
Ooh-oo child
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh-oo child
Things'll get brighter

Some day, yeah
We'll get it together and we'll get it all done
Some day
When your head is much lighter
Some day, yeah
We'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun
Some day
When the world is much brighter</i>