ABC STARS Inspires

Bernardita Zalazar Carpio rarely wrote. She was a frequent speaker on such themes as 'Love, courtship and marriage", "husband-wife relationship","the family, a miniature church", and the like. She never wrote down her talks. She favored familiar, person-to-person communication. She talked, not from books, but from life. For she lived her faith. As a wife and as a mother of fourteen children who, she would emphasize as planned and prayed for, had rhythm like a poem - one girl three boys, one girl three boys, one girl three boys, to complete the dozen she prayed for on her wedding day, plus "bonuses", two boys, to make the fourteen lines of a sonnet. Our love sonnnet. One day, a lady columnist in a Manila paper wrote about 'Painless childbirth: A myth" (Philippine STAR, 20 Feb 93). Bernardita wrote columnist Domini M. Torrevillas about "the other side". Domini published the letter in her column (3 April 93) saying...

I begged; then bowed, "Thy will, not mine, be done!" Resigned my will and drugged my seething soul -Recoiling at the gall this chalice held- That I might drink it down to its bitterest dregs And drink, I did. But that was long ago! Whence then comes this gall that flows, still flows From out this chalice emptied long ago? I prayed, at least that I may know Your will. Should I, can I not ask for this? But this? How could it be Your will that I should know Not what You will for me? I fled them all For You, why then have You abandoned me? I was a climbing, growing, verdant vine Who founded all; each faintest breath, each throbbing Heartbeat, and flowing sap upon this tree Who wove each littlest wish, each wistful hope And all its grandest, fondest, wildest dreams Around this tree; unchanging tree that was My way; undying tree that was my life. But God! You've let them tear me off my tree! And wrench me, rend me by the roots and throw Me out upon ...

Eggheads wondered how the bumble bee An aeronautical monstrosity That by design is not supposed to fly Keeps on blissfully flitting, buzzing by. Instant prophets, too, kept prophesying--- "This government won't last. There's no denying "Tell-tale signs, the end is well in sight. "Cory's People Power had lost its might." They saw the end in six months to a year. The trouble is with neither greed nor fear Nor knowledge that we're not supposed to last We're still around many moons have passed. Our battle for all that's true is far from over. Too often, rights and freedoms are but a cover For minorities that impose their will By violence. Who lie and maim and kill. In the name of equality or social reform. When reality their only norm Is ---" end justifies the means." Expediency. With pharisaical infallibility. On guard! For Truth! And virtue! Our war goes on! EDSA was but the coming of the dawn Upon a pe...

You lifted us from apathy and sorrow;           Broke the bonds of indifference and despair! You gifted us with hope for a new tomorrow!           If we be true! And give our all! And dare! You bested the gauntlets of stamina and speed           Of brains and brawn, of nerves of steel, and skill. Consumed by but one passion - to succeed!           Give more than all! With indomitable will! I would not mention names for you are legion           Each one doing his utmost as part of a team. You met the best of the Southeast Asian region           Winning more than what we dared to dream! O Philippine Athletes! Heroes! Thru thick and thin!           We salute you! You gave us back the Will to Win! *Oragon, Dec. 1991 photo credit: Day 179/365 - Almost GOOOOOOOOAL! via ...

　 　To begin with, I think that Andre Agassi is spot on when he stated that, “Nothing can substitute for just plain hard work. I had to put in the time to get back. And it was a grind. It meant training and sweating every day. But I was completely committed to working out to prove to myself that I still could do it.” 　　I am a home-based writer. It is interesting to note that I have only seen my editor and publisher three times so far personally in a period of more than three years in tenure at Bicol Mail. What follows is a chronicle of what a writer’s week is like with an in-depth and detailed approach. A sales pitch is included to orient prospective writers. 　　I have embraced the writer’s lifestyle wholeheartedly. Being a home-based employee is a rarity that people are curious about as it is a life that is off the beaten track. For non-writers in general, you may find similarities that may apply to your own field of profession. 　　Providentially, I have achieved a bala...