What I recall of that extremely hot and humid evening was I had
returned to explore once more this tropical paradise; perhaps to find solace in
its culture and inhabitants. In reality,
I guess I was trying to escape a World which (for me) was turning cold and
mundane. I had traveled the length and
breadth of the United States several times during my first six decades on this
earthly plane. During those many years
and miles, I tried to satisfy a nagging need I could neither describe, much
less understand. As an adult, I would
travel thousands of miles at a time on the motorcycle, always returning home
sun blistered and exhausted, but with every sojourn, there remained this
enigmatic urge deep within my psyche. Some
have written they traveled in search of life’s answers or perhaps that unknown someone
to give substance and meaning to their existence; or simply to fill that fathomless
void which existed within their soul.
On that flight to Manila, I
recall meeting a couple of Americans who were on their way to the Philippines
to either roam around or to meet a girlfriend…..and I remember them trying to
persuade me to “enjoy” all that the Philippines had to offer. However, I had not “returned” to the
Philippines in search of companionship or even find that proverbial, Meaning of Life.
Personally, there were no answers to be found or hidden wisdom to be discovered
within this tropical archipelago. It was
not the reason I had traveled here. Still, I somehow felt like the Monarch
Butterfly who for whatever reason, had that insatiable need to migrate to that
hidden valley in Mexico. I had spent
almost three years here in the 1970’s while serving with the US Navy, and the
country (at that time) had such an impact on me that it had instilled the desire
to return someday. To find my own hidden valley deep within the
lush jungles or fog enshrouded mountain peaks.
Perhaps one of the reasons for my
return five years ago…..and continues even today, was the simplistic or basic
lifestyle of the people. Another was I
wanted to really explore those many islands.
I had never really had the money to explore back in the seventies….and even
in 2010, my funds were limited, but there was enough money to meander my winter
months away in pursuit of that perfect location.
 | |
| Santiago, Toy, Charissa Mae, and Clarisse w/Jesse the Dog |
However for me, the most important discovery since my arrival here in
the Philippines, was settling upon the Island of Negros and the finding of four
children in desperate need of a papa. Since
that time, I have expended my energies on raising the four best kids in the
entire World. I am awed at times when I
think that the first time I met them, their ages ranged from three and
one-half, to almost seven, to nine and finally ten and one-half years. They were either in grade school or preschool
when I happened upon them, however, now they are in ninth, seventh, fifth, and
third grades……Children grow faster than you realize…especially as you
mature.
One comment I would like to add
is that this family always has discussions at the dinner table (in English) on
a wide variety of topics. One day we
were talking about education and I asked fourteen year old Toy where he would
be in school had I not come into his life.
You see, before I had arrived in the Philippines, Toy was always
skipping school. Even if his mother
walked him to the classroom, as soon as she departed, he was out the door. So, he sat quietly for a few moments considering
the question asked and then softly replied that he would have never made it to
sixth grade. None of those children had
aspirations of careers when growing up….but now they actually have dreams of a
better education which will lead to a better life for them along with their
future families. Toy has been the one child who has been by my side since we
became a family. Whatever I do or
wherever I go, you can bet he will be right beside me. Since I have resumed daily walks two months
ago, he has been walking with me almost every morning. I may watch over the family, but I will tell
you now that Toy watches over me.
Which brings me to another topic.
My knees. In certain regards, my
knees are better now than when I arrived here five years ago, but they have
also deteriorated significantly since then.
I now exercise them and bend the legs regularly which helps with
flexibility. However the other side of
the coin is the cartilage (which cushions the knee joints) is just about
gone. I can still walk with some
discomfort and can even make a three mile an hour pace (if pressed into it),
but as for running, jogging, or performing Zumba, it is not an option any
longer. I can make short sprints after
an errant Frisbee, but the impact of bone upon bone creates a painful reminder
that I am no longer twenty years old.
Still, I continue to walk between four and eight kilometers almost every
day.
With all of the global events/tragedies occurring right now, what I
have noticed more than anything else is that the active World continues to pass
me by. I reside within a quaint paradise
of friendly people who are oblivious to the rest of the World’s problems and also
enjoy an unencumbered lifestyle. I have
four wonderful children who I have come to call my own, a basic house which
(for the most part) keeps the rain out, food in the pantry and freezer full of
ice cubes to chill my glass liter
bottles of Pepsi (40¢ per bottle). I
can only hope and pray that the next five years will be as enjoyable and
rewarding as the past five…..and with God’s blessing, I am sure they will
be.
Daryl A. Cleveland
November 19,
2015
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