Bloom where you are planted

“I want it to be a palace—only I don’t think palaces are very luxurious. They’re so big, so promiscuously public. A small house is a true luxury.”
― Ayn Rand

How do you like the place that you have been living in? Does it inspire you? Does it allow you to be yourself and unleash your fullest potential? Have you thought of moving out? And do you think you have a better chance in life if you did? How would you sum up your life in your current home? On my last post, I talked about a plan. I talked about what direction I wanted my life to go, and for that plan to succeed it needs a good workshop for me to work in. I want to talk about my home.

Every 31st of December is my city’s annual fiesta and the most anticipated event of that day is the city parade that showcases the diverse culture of my city. The parade consists of marching bands and cadets from different schools, floats of the different establishments in the city, city personalities and officials marching on the road from end to end. More importantly, it has candies lots and lots of candies… people giving away candies to children. I remember the first time my mother took me to the city parade; I could remember the thundering of the drums, the ever disciplined marching of the school cadets, people cheering for their favorite personalities. It is one of the most memorable experiences from my childhood. The day ends with the crowning of the winner for the annual city beauty pageant who will be the face of the city.

I live in a small provincial city in the Philippines, a common tourist spot for foreigners and locals alike. Located at the central part of Luzon and just approximately a 2-hour drive from Metro Manila. The weather most of the time is warm and sunny, the air is always a cool summer breeze with occasional rain showers and thunderstorms. The city is filled with commercial and residential establishments, a mixture of the old and new. American culture is largely prevalent due to a former U.S naval base situated just right next to the city. There is also a slew of bars and restaurants all across the city as well as a few recreational amenities that the city has to offer. There are 4 major shopping malls, a dozen of commercial gym, 3 public markets, an ocean park, a nature/outdoor adventure park, an industrial center, an international school, a yacht club, and of course the large selection of beaches and resorts (I cannot express it enough, how much I love the beach).

But what I like the most in living here despite the lack of opportunity for me as an IT professional, is that I get to raise my daughter. She had been in my care for almost 2 years now since her mother left. Parenting a little girl, to be honest is quite a handful, I am still juggling between my parenting, my career, my dating life, and my personal life but I like living with my daughter. I am exactly where I wanted to be, and living here gives me energy and purpose. Strolling along this small city of mine, basking in its humble occupants and culture inspire me to aim high which also serves as my city’s motto. A city where it urges its population not to be lazy, and give importance to its cleanliness (well, at least those were the ideologies that the city is built upon). Living here allows me to be a father, it allows me to fulfill my duties and achieve most of my personal goals. Living here also allows me to take care of my mother, and help her with her shop which is actually satisfying if I may include, getting in touch with your roots.

As I put my thoughts into words, I have begun to be fascinated again with the beauty and complexity of my city and its population; it bustling public markets, the honks of the public utility jeepneys and the exquisite taste of the local dishes. My quaint little city offers a variety of experiences that make it one of the top tourist destinations in my country.

Like all things in this life, nothing is perfect and my city is no exception. As I said, it lacks opportunities and poverty is a fact of life; but it has a special hold in me in its simplicity, its people and its culture. It is definitely a place that I call home for me and my daughter.

The place we live in affects us; we absorb its culture and its way of thinking. It nurtures us and provides for us. Though some of us branch out to achieve greater heights, many of us would still return to the place where we grew up in. The place that we hold dear in our hearts and the place where love resides, a place we can always go back to and start again when everything else seems to fail; a place we call home…

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