Category: Stuff I’ve learned

Sad Songs Say So Much

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Remember that song by Mr. Elton John?
Sad songs says so much? No?
Never mind. You’re too young.

Anyways,
I have always been criticized,
for as long as I can remember,
that I play a lot of sad songs.

Well, I disagreed at first, of course.
I like Rock!
I play a lot of Rock.
I listen to a lot of Rock.

But over the years,
and as I look over my recorded tunes and covers,
I guess I really do.
I play a lot of Sad Songs.
Sad Ballads, if you call it that.

Then I realized, because it makes me feel better.
It makes me cope.
Sad songs have more substance than…let’s say
a happy, fast song full off Yeah, Yeahs or Baby, Baby’s.

Also, my voice is not made for Rocking and screaming.
I can’t. I really can’t.
I sing and play ballads with ease, compared to
hours and hours of trying to make a happy song work.

I don’t necessarily play sad songs because they’re what I feel.
I don’t even pay attention to the lyrics most of the time.
I just like how the music flows.
Let’s say my feelings flow more on the music rather than the message it conveys.

Then I read this article from Huffington Post,

Sad Songs May Actually Elicit Pleasant Emotions

So, that helped me understand.
I don’t mind being criticized now.
I like sad songs.
It makes me happy.

Except Country Music.
That one is just depressing.
(I kid, I kid.)

“Sad is happy for deep people.” – Sally Sparrow

I found it again

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I felt it.
I remembered why I worked hard to learn the instrument.
I love it.
I really do.

I’m not a guitar nor a music expert.
But I just really love how they both make me feel.

Cheesy as it may sound, I know.
But I remembered why I stood by it in the first place.
And that is why I’m still playing it all this time.

Thank you.

·

If I may be serious for a moment.

A couple of months ago,
we had some troubling news within our family.

It has been challenging, to say the least.
Not just for me, but for every member of our clan.

Without going into details,
I would like to say that things are looking up.
And we have been given more hope.

I would like to take this opportunity
to thank everyone who have given their sincerest support,
thoughts and prayers.

Even to those whom I have only known by name
and not really acquainted with, offered a helping hand.

It is still a long journey ahead,
but at least hope is in sight.

Thank you.

You would think…

·

You would think,
for someone who loves and is very passionate about music,
God would surround me with people who have the same thing.
Or at least bring me close enough to make it happen.

Nope.

Father’s Day 2013

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Some of the things I remember about my Dad
are his lame jokes.
Some of it were good,
but most of it were… cringe worthy.

He would tell the same jokes over and over
and all of us would just sit there and let him deliver it
and pretend that it’s our first time hearing them.

Allow me to share this one joke of his to you
that he told me when I became a father myself.

I will write it in Filipino first
since it was told to me that way
then I’ll translate it for our “Habla Inglesa” friends.

Keep in mind that we were on the phone,
talking very seriously.

Here it goes:

“Isa ka nang Tatay, anak.
Marami kang dadanasin at haharapin na pagsubok.

Pero eto ang tandaan mo.
Sa isang pamilya,
Ang Nanay ang ilaw ng tahanan.
Sya ang nagbibigay liwanag sa inyong lahat.

Ang Tatay ang haligi ng tahanan.
Ikaw ang pundasyon ng inyong pamilya at kabuhayan.

At ang pinaka importante,
Ang mga manugang ay ang mga anay,
na dumudurog sa pundasyon!”

Hahah!! I am still laughing about this joke
after all these years.

And now I’m going to translate it …….

You know what..
I’d rather not.
I may get in trouble for this.

I miss you, Dad.
Happy Father’s Day

Quote of the day

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“Music doesn’t always help me heal.
But at least playing is my way of talking to myself.
My Guitar listens. She agrees with me.”

–TM

Abuse

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This is something I learned a long time ago from a friend who told me how to define “abuse.”

“Once is enough.
Twice is too much.
Thrice is a poison
that can kill a person.”

Where do you set your limit?

Theories

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One of the things I learned about myself
is that… I am still learning about myself.

I am a grown adult.
I am done with school.
I have completed the official stage of learning in my life.
But apparently,
not the “real” learning.

(more…)

Friends are friends forever?

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It’s funny while I was writing that previous post,
I was thinking of how I was texting and messaging
my friends and loved ones in the Philippines.
Making sure they were alright.

Of course, I have to sweep through my phone address book
to see who I can contact and ask them how they were doing.
Despite the fact that it was a little scary what reply I would get
or if I would get one at all.
You can never know how bad the situation is.
Or was.

Luckily, most of them are alright.

(more…)

All that matters is…

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One of the things I don’t understand
when you are going through some difficulties in life,
and people say to you:

“You shouldn’t feel sad.
There are others who are going through worse things than you.”

I don’t know about you, but doesn’t that equate to saying:

“Don’t be happy
because there are other people happier than you?”

Correct me if I’m incorrect.

Those are “your” problems,
which was handed to you
whether you are equipped enough to handle it or not,
or strong enough to withstand it,
I say, Go ahead!
Scream out your frustrations if you have to.
You have the right to complain.
You have the right to be heard.

Be mad at everyone around you.
It’s okay. Not very many care anyway.

Be mad at God if you have to,
It’s okay. I’m pretty sure your God can take it.

Be mad at yourself.
It’s okay. You’re the only one who is going through it.

And do not believe when people tell you
“I know what you’re going through. I’ve been there.”

That is nonsense!
They do not know what you are going through.
They may have an “idea” of what you’re going through.
But they can never know.

Your sufferings are different from mine.
Your pains are different from mine.
Your heartbreak is different from mine.
Your misery is different from mine.

It’s okay.
Be mad.

I get mad too.
I’ve had my shares of pain and sorrows.

But, don’t forget.
All of these have an opposite.
It also has an equal.

You will have your time of joy and happiness too.
Your time to shine and to be recognized.
Your time will come when you will have laughter and bliss.

And then, you will also realize that
people don’t know how you feel when you are happy either.
They might have an “idea,”
but they don’t know how happy you feel.

Don’t people think you’re crazy
when they see you laughing your socks off?

Exactly!
They can’t know it.

So it’s the same as being mad or sad.
They don’t know.

Which brings me to my point.
Other people do not know or do not care
what you go through.

What they think of you does not matter.
They are not going to lose sleep when you are sad.
Even if they are the reason you were sad in the first place.

It doesn’t matter what they think if you are happy either.
Most of them just get jealous and talk about you anyway.

None of that matter.

All that matters..
is You.

“All good things come to an end.
Bad things have an ending too.”