Certified!

“Today, you are no longer strangers to the sea, but her ambassadors on land. Take care of her.” — This is one of the messages given by our instructors underwater. Wow! I can’t believe I did it! I am finally certified as a diver! After all the long hours of training in the pool and four fun and tiring dives in Dive & Trek, I now have a license to dive at will. I can now go and discover places that not many people get a chance to see. It’s really a hall pass to the Heaven below. I really can’t fully describe the feeling. Of course it’s exciting and happy. But it’s more than that. I now realize that there’s more to diving than fun and excitement. There’s also the aspect of discipline, learning to follow protocols, being accountable for your actions, having the ability to care for a buddy, appreciating God’s little miracles and accepting that you are not the center of the universe – there’s a whole world out there that we are not a part of. We only serve as visitors underwater; ‘Bosero’ as my instructor puts it.

For me this is a nice way of ending my to-dos for the year. Last January, I started the year with the conscious effort to do all the things that I wanted to do especially those that I was holding off for quite a while. “Live your best life and stop holding off things” — this was my resolution for the year. Actually my first resolution ever. I just wanted to try it out if it will work for me. It seems to be working. Let’s see what it will be next year.

On Being Single

OK, I am facing the music! Some recent events prompted me to talk about the topic of me being single:

1. A few weeks back, I and my katambayans had our quarterly dinner in Oyster Boy and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that 3 of my previously single friends are now in a relationship. Two of them brought their better halves in the said event. I am honestly happy for them because I have been witness to all their heartaches and waiting time for someone to come along for them. I can only hope that they’d be happy together.
2. The room assignments for our check-out dive became such a big deal. The couples in my group wanted to get only twin rooms and I was left looking for roommates. Honestly, I don’t know what fuss was all about. The last time I checked, we were going there for a checkout dive and not for any weekend honeymoon getaway. Just give me a decent room with some people that I at least know and I’ll be fine. No worries.

I haven’t really looked at it this way but here’s a summary of relationship in my social circle:
A. Most of my SFC friends are single
B. All my kabarkadas are in a relationship
C. We have almost an equal ratio of single and attached people in my Ateneo circle
D. Until just about a month back, all of my AAT friends are also in a relationship

So why am I still single? Well, the last time I reflected, I still loved women and all their bodily functions! Hehe. Seriously now, it’s simply because I haven’t found someone yet. As a guy, it is quite easy for me to court the next girl that comes along. But I do not want to do it that way. I don’t want to get a girlfriend just for the sake of having one, or just because I’m lonely or bored in my life. As cheezy as it may sound, I will enter into a relationship for Love and not for anything else. I don’t want to waste the girl’s time making her believe that something substantial can come out of our relationship if I am only using her as a practical companion.

It has been almost 3 years now since I entered into a relationship (formally committed at least) and one thing I realized in that experience is that I am not waiting for any person to come before I can start living my life. I have to be whole and complete as I am. That is why I am doing all the things that I like to do and not hold off until I am with someone to pursue my interests – this includes my service to God. I want to be the best person that I can be so that when I enter into the next relationship, I am coming in with a bit more insights on life and little more appreciation of all its many blessings.

There is this term in SFC pertaining to your girlfriend or boyfriend. They call it ‘GG’, which stands for ‘God’s Gift.’ And to me it is what is says – a gift. Just like a gift, we will not fully know what’s inside when we receive it. We just know it is something that we will love. Just like a gift, it is not something that we cannot initially claim as ours. We just have to be thankful that it is given to us. It is a gift given by the greatest giver of all in his own perfect time. With this in mind, I really cannot worry because He has given me a lot of blessings. I truly believe that the great Lord has good plans for me the same way that he has plans for all of us. I entrust to him my life and that includes my relationships. I am living my life the way that I believe he wants me to. So that when the time comes that He gives the one for me, I know I’ll be ready because He has prepared me for it…..