Diverse Passions

As an individual being, bound with abstract elements that define human character to its uniqueness, I for one have two passions that are quite peculiar in nature and diverse in comparison. It’s like Matt and Jeff of the 60’s comic strip, or the hot and cold shower valves, or the biblical characters David and Goliath. To begin with the first one, it is my penchant for anything small. Be it a living thing, an inanimate object or an abstract being.

When I was a kid I like to scan the books for pictures and illustrations. I’m not ashamed to admit that in my learning stage I was slow in reading comprehension. My key to understanding the story was the series of illustrations. We had a complete volume of The Children’s Hour books. And pages containing elves, dwarfs, fairies of the winged genus and little people were what I loved most to see. My favorites include Gulliver’s travels, Thumb Tom, Thumbelina and the likes. I would review it over and over again whenever the routine of playing bored me or simply, when the feel set in.

Although I also liked adventure stories, the Greek and Roman epics and superheroes, the fascinating world of diminutives was just simply insuperable.

In shows and fairs, my passion for small things manifests through my strong desire to see displays of dioramas and scaled models of existing structures. Even in souvenir shops I tend to be magnetized by the small items like figurines and statuettes. The more intricate and real-like it is, the more I get interested. Sometimes it ends with purchase if my pocket allows.

The rabid of my passion did not fail to encroach in my hobbies that are collecting stamps and miniaturized trees more known as bonsai. I tried to analyze what’s in the stamp that titillates my interest. I found out that it resembled a picture frame replicated into small frames. And that is amazing --to be able to collect replicas of arts from masters and all sorts of information from all over the world in thumb-size frames that's the stamps. If stamps are printed in billboard-size then my interest will disappear right away like a bubble; not to mention the trouble of keeping such a humongous piece.

As for the bonsai, it’s pretty obvious that it’s small and it’s my passion. Age, time and effort in training it are factors too that makes it a collectible item.

Now, here comes the twist of the story. My other passion is quite the opposite from the first one. It’s why I say humans are unique being because there’s no pattern to follow to be able to predict his or her passion and desires. My penchant for small things is matched with obsession to tall and slender women.

I don’t know why I like tall women. I just find them sexy and beautiful. Being tall is not yet the ultimate "it", she has to be slim to a proportionate degree. Long limbs and cute face on lithe torso is my epitome of a perfect she.

I discovered this kind of obsession in my early 20’s when I started to follow Brooke Shields in pin-up magazines and posters after I saw her movie the Blue Lagoon. Her youthfulness, comely face, thin body and towering height captured the world's attention . It was a paradigm shift for me in the context of beauty of a woman.

However, physical attraction is not everything to me. It’s just the initial reaction when we see a person because sight is the only sense that works in distance. The visual attraction is only wanton desire and not permanent. Real beauty is what comes out from the inside. To have both, inner and outer beauties is a bonus.

On Coming of Age

A few days ago, a family member died in her sleep. My aunt, the wife of my mother's elder brother. She was 85. I was saddened by the news and couldn't believe in the beginning. She was still fine when I left last June. She was a frequent visitor of my mother. She usually comes in the morning. They would talk about anything, from memories of their childhood to current events. They would sing old songs, laugh and even cry when they remember about sad experiences. Now that she was plucked to join her Maker, my mother lost a morning guest and a contemporary.

Her demise made me think of my own vulnerability--a thought that never crossed my mind in my younger years. But now, if time and destiny wills that I live the age as my aunt's and considering that I have survived for half a century then it's not far to happen. Aspirations, undone missions in my life deliberately dissuade me to think of the inevitable. Yet, I'm aware of it's coming.

Nature has a way of dealing this. Our views of life and disposition attunes with our age. My mother who is 80 now speaks of her own end with confidence and unperturbed like it's going to happen any time soon. For us, it's consternation that we don't like to hear. For her, it's coming of age in nature's way and of course, God's grace and will.