One evening left to close the year. 54 days left to prepare for a life time.
If there is any emotion I wish to take with me from the past year into 2007 it is happiness.
Even if my road was rocky, winding, uphill, and uncharted, I experienced a lot of happiness. And, most importantly, I found out how to be happy from inside out without any reason.
I visited my saxophone teacher at his home in Binangonan today, outside Manila. He has a happy family, with nice-looking kids. His house is two years old and he completes it bit by bit. I salute my teacher for his achievement. He teaches wind instruments, especially the recorder, flute, clarinet, and saxophone.
His story is remarkable. Because his parents could not support his school expenses, he was asked to join his school band because it would give him a free scholarship to study. He did, but he wasn’t interested in music. He managed to get some coaching from the band leader.
After graduation he joined the department of tourism. And he was asked by an older friend to substitute for him playing saxophone in a big band in a night club. He agreed, but he still couldn’t play well, and wasn’t very interested either.
But while playing with the big band, music finally got to him. He became entranced by it and it became a part of his life. Soon after, he left the government and took some music assignments overseas in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, where he developed his musical style. Years later now, those employers are still writing to ask him to come back for more.
However, he had discovered that his happiness was to be close to his family. He told me that he preferred to teach at home in the Philippines. He wouldn’t go back abroad, he said. He found out what makes him happy, and he decided to stick with that.
If there is any emotion I wish to take with me from the past year into 2007 it is happiness.
Even if my road was rocky, winding, uphill, and uncharted, I experienced a lot of happiness. And, most importantly, I found out how to be happy from inside out without any reason.
I visited my saxophone teacher at his home in Binangonan today, outside Manila. He has a happy family, with nice-looking kids. His house is two years old and he completes it bit by bit. I salute my teacher for his achievement. He teaches wind instruments, especially the recorder, flute, clarinet, and saxophone.
His story is remarkable. Because his parents could not support his school expenses, he was asked to join his school band because it would give him a free scholarship to study. He did, but he wasn’t interested in music. He managed to get some coaching from the band leader.
After graduation he joined the department of tourism. And he was asked by an older friend to substitute for him playing saxophone in a big band in a night club. He agreed, but he still couldn’t play well, and wasn’t very interested either.
But while playing with the big band, music finally got to him. He became entranced by it and it became a part of his life. Soon after, he left the government and took some music assignments overseas in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, where he developed his musical style. Years later now, those employers are still writing to ask him to come back for more.
However, he had discovered that his happiness was to be close to his family. He told me that he preferred to teach at home in the Philippines. He wouldn’t go back abroad, he said. He found out what makes him happy, and he decided to stick with that.
He supplements his modest teaching income by regularly doing gigs, mostly at weddings and other celebrations. He continues to build his life, step by step, like he does his house.
None of his children has caught the musical virus yet. The oldest seemed in high risk of infection last week, when he asked his Dad for the first time to be taught the flute. While their mother encouraged the children to follow in their father’s musical footsteps, the father welcomed them to listen to their own muse in the choice of their study and profession. The oldest is now training to be a chef.
I reflected that finding the passion of our life can indeed take a while. They need not be permanent. Few things are. Passions can evolve, or be phased out, for another. However, we can’t have too many passions, otherwise there wouldn’t be enough time to devote to them.
In this past year, I discovered more about my own passions. Writing has come to the top spot, and music is second. Come the New Year 2007, I will continue to give these two passions more of my time.
Photographs: My saxophone teacher with his family, and his house.
I reflected that finding the passion of our life can indeed take a while. They need not be permanent. Few things are. Passions can evolve, or be phased out, for another. However, we can’t have too many passions, otherwise there wouldn’t be enough time to devote to them.
In this past year, I discovered more about my own passions. Writing has come to the top spot, and music is second. Come the New Year 2007, I will continue to give these two passions more of my time.
Photographs: My saxophone teacher with his family, and his house.
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