The World As Seen By Mikey Gatal

I am so blessed to have a family and  friends that makes me smile and inspires to do my best, so i bid goodbye to 2008 with lots of laughters and fun memories behind & hello to 2009 with a bang and gain more friends around the world.

Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. I thank God for all the blessings He has given me, good health and having a family and friends that supports me all the way. I may not be able to please some of them but i tried to be a good person as i am despite some doubts about me. I may have hurt some people but i sincerely ask forgiveness and become friends again. To my family,relatives and dearest friends, may you have a meaningful Thanksgiving to celebrate.

greeting the new year was fun for me and i was happy to meet new friends and my cousin Cezreminded me and tap onto my shoulder and said that it’s a sign that my new year will be a happy one because i was full of joy again especially when i met someone named Gino.

People say,real friend is hard to find,

and even to some it’s like looking for gold in the mine.

I guess God was quite gracious to me,

with little instructions He said,”My child just wait and see”.

It did not take too long for God to reveal,

the friend destined for me to feel.

The friendship that i have been seeking all my life,

was to be found if i’d look into the light.

With a gentle touch on my neck,

it gave me chills when i learned that his name was Hec.

And that very moment on i knew,

real friendship was in you!

"I posted the below message on myspace and found it very therapeutic.

Yesterday, September 3rd we lost our baby girl, my niece, Kirstie Lyn

Stewart. She passed away in her sleep. This little girl had so much

personality and was talented. She just completed her first week of

school - this was her last year in junior high school before she went on

to high school. She made cheer again this year and thought she was

running with the "big guns" in junior high school. Kirstie was a

friendly little girl with soooo many friends. Kirstie was always

listening to music, dancing (the kid was always bouncing off the walls

with energy), on the phone with her friends and always making her faces

(like her uncle Anthony).I can't believe she's gone.

The only comforting thoughts I have is that she's with my grandparents

and my godmother and she's being looked after well."

“Negative pressure knows no boundaries for it is always there. It leads us to the path of destruction. It binds us to bad influences which later we initiate them ourselves. As we strive for a positive view of life, trials pave way for us to handle tough decisions which may lead to our downfall or may lead to become a new person. In my life, I had been to many negative pressures and went to tough paths crossing the road of peer pressure.

When I was in my first year in high school, I was influenced by colleagues to start smoking. Days passed by and it turned into a bad habit. Whenever we had lunch at our tambayan which was the “Nipa Hut”, I would light one and just smoke even if I didn’t know how to smoke. I would puff in front of them as if trying to fit in the group. But this bad habit soon ended as my mother caught some tobacco bits in the pocket of my polo as I went home from school. Then she would interrogate me and I told lies just to cover up this bad habit saying that those were just peanut bits. But knowing that my mother is an expert in those things and as some people say, mothers knows best because of their “sixth sense”. She caught me in that instant and as my father knew about it, he got mad and I never did it again.

As we transferred to Bohol, I became oriented with the “Visayan-speaking clans”. Many events occurred which led me to many wrongdoings and negative pressures.

When I started as a sophomore at this school, bad start-ups where not far because when you are new in school, expect people to envy you and some who would be nice to you. Well’ in the first five weeks in school was a tough one. I heard that a group of male students wanted to have a piece of me because of my bag. Well I could say, at that time, this kind of bag fad was the most popular fad in town. Many would kill for this kind of bag. As I became aware of it, I used that bag as I entered school everyday. Well what I hoped for came one day when me and my friends got out of class to have recess, as we walked through the corridors, this tall and dark guy blocked our way with his friends looking at me, I was so terrified and rushed outside looking for my uncle and cried in front of him. Then he and his friends brought me back to the room and confronted that boy who was so desperate to kick me.

After that incident, no one ever dared to touch me. I guess it made me stronger at one point.

Another situation was when I introduced myself to opposite peers and met this beautiful girl who was then the muse of the freshmen. Everytime I see her, I would always greet her. But I wasn’t sure of myself because it was my first time to actually court a girl and because of what clearly entered in my mind was that this hottie was lined with suitors and I was just a newbie. But I still pursued myself to her and we became closer, we went out together with friends. One time while I was waiting for her, there was this another guy harassing my friend and so I told him to stop. He came near me and he said that he will wait for me after class. But I didn’t mind him because this beautiful girl arrived and went to me and just talk and laugh together.

As classes ended, me and a friend went out to grab merienda in a snakhaus. Just as we were about to leave the campus, two guys grabbed me side by side and we went to a vacant lot and there waited, this rejected suitor who wanted to have a duel with me. So without hesitation, I went to him and wanted to stop this nonsense and just talk to him. But because of desperation, he tried to give a punch but instead created a scratch on my face and I threw a punch over his left eye. Then a struggle aroused between us. The fight ended when this pastor picked us up. We shook our hands and ended this feud. The next day came and we had our scouting session, as classes ended, me and my friends went out to eat. This girl hurried to meet me because of the news she heard about a fight. She comforted me and even treated me for snacks. Then the rest of the days turned out to be a wonderful time.

As I reached my senior years, I was put to a test when I was suspended for a week because I was caught drunk by a teacher. It was my first time to drink alcoholic beverages. As we were suspended, we were divided into two groups. One group were to clean the corridors and the other were to clean the restrooms and all other rooms. It was an experience which I faced that marked a difference.

Peer pressure marks a difference in our lives. We react to situations and choose what’s weighed lightly.

When I was in my college years, these were the times when I began as an alcohol-drinker. I involved myself in fraternities and later into drug addiction. One mistake was that I never learned to say No to influences that came and it paved way for me to go to wrong direction than what I had hoped for. As I reflected upon past experiences that happened in my life. I realized that it hadn’t made me any greater person or a successful one. I lost the trust of my parents who were always there for me in hard times and in good times, guided me to life and growth, supported my dreams, gave me a better life which I deserved to have.

As I walk away from this bad yesterday, the chance I could only have now, to be better in life and to gain the trust and make my parents proud is to finish my studies. Give it to the fullest in days that I had wasted and leave bad memories behind, to regain my self-confidence and earn the love of my mom and dad.

What I learned is that God is always there for us and parents are the instruments for which they would make us better persons that we could be. Striving for positive pressure begins with obedience at home and learning to say No.”

dearest friend Hector,

wishing you happy happy happy birthday and good health always.

best friend forever,

“Mikey”

God said” don’t get tired of doing what is good. don’t discouraged and give up,for we will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time!”(Oging)

“Be happy with what you have while working for what you want,Remember, a happy and successful life begins with God and ends for God!”(Oging)

“It’s not how close or far you are to me, but what matter is howmuch i value you in my heart, for me, your heaven’s gift, a special person i always kept!”(Oging)

“The heart remembers all special moments when goodness made a difference. May the love you share with others return to you in countless ways. take care!”(Marjo)

“God writes with a pen that never blot,speaks with a tongue that never slips, and acts with a hand that never fails.Trust Him. He knows best!”(Oging)

“Some few things i’ve learned by experience:

1. do not talk too much when you are MAD, you might say things you don’t mean to say.2. making a decision takes time, don’t RUSH.3. life is like chess, one wrong move and your game is all messed up.4. never let your PRIDE ruin everything..it’s better to lose your pride than to lose someone because of your pride!” (Oging)

“Life holds no promises to what will come our way, it make no guarantees as to what we will have, it just give time to make choices and to take chances with God!”(Oging)

“God isn’t far away,He surrounds us with His LOVE.it was He who opened our eyes this morning.it’s His strenght that will carry us through this day!”(Oging)

“Value things while you still have them becausewe will never know until when will they stay in your Life, you may get tired of having them but at least be thankful they never get tired of having you!”(Gary)

“Count not the leaves that had fallen in the Garden of your Life but rather count, behold and be happy about the Flowers thatblossom in it!”(Oging)

“With a morning that’s warm and bright, may you be blessedwith rays of delight,may danger be ever out of sight and may your day simply work out right!”(Oging)