Sexuality - is it just a CONCEPT?

These thoughts have been on my mind for days, so I better write it down.... I love LIFe and I love to have FUN, so in the years of my existence (hmmm...28 as of last count? haha)I have met all breed (whattaterm!) of people. I was once had a group of friends who were addicted to Nubain, friends whose jobs or morals are questionable and friends whose gender preference are on the third plane. All the same, they matter to me not because of their stature in life, but because of how they treat me as a person. So why do these people tick? These people have their own right to be special even if society would label them as otherwise. Addicts are people who are going through a lot of pain and what they need is not judgmental looks but a caring heart. Those people who live in immorality and who take odd jobs are struggling, they do this out of blinded love and hardship respectively, so we must understand them all the more. For those people who go for same sex relationships or who prefers to deviate from what the norm is, they are still PEOPLE - they are not aliens that we should fear. They have the same anatomy as we do 'STRAIGHT' people have - same with addicts and red district people. We are all humans, we are all capable of sinning...all of US! It doesnt make them less of a person if they chose what they did on their lives. Seriously simple. Speaking for myself, I have always constant encounters with gay people - they make me laugh, their talents are better than mine (if we should count what is expected from a woman) and they are so much FUN to be with! Only very recently that I've had the chance to see the other side of the fence up close and personal- and that is the "LES" world. I am sorry for the label, but I dont know how to emphasize my point the other way. As I got to know not only one but a bunch of them at once, they have opened a new door for me to view and that is how they live! That they are capable of so much love, capable of getting hurt and capable of LIVING! It gave me a realization that indeed we are just EQUALS - they can be better at one thing and inferior on the other - nothing more nothing less. I seem to have forgotten that in some areas of their lives they struggle more as compared to "straight" people. If acceptance is readily available, this blog would have not been conceived in the first place. Take for example in getting into relationship, a lisbo have "MEN" as rivals - if a girl is not leaning towards widening her horizon - she would go for the male and not for the lisbo. Have you noticed that for the 3rd sex, love is usually equated with money? If we see a a gay couple, we always have that question in our mind on how they were able to hook up? The malice thought linger and then we judge them, not until we get to know them and understand the situation they are in. But how soon do we befriend them each time we see one? Now who can say that we are better than them? Depiction of these people in the society convey that at large they have been simultaneously in collusion and threatened by the dispute of gender roles, and the society are either fascinated or appalled with women who are romantically involved with other women. Women who assume a "third sex" identity witness actuality that form an outlook relative to an ethnic or olden tribe: as who they are, they are bonded by the scrutiny and potential rejection they constantly face from their families, friends, and the society as a whole. Discrimination is felt in the work environment, political arena and even in the inner circle of the family. Why? Because our hypocrite life led us to form that CONCEPT - and remains so because the society tell us so. These are hard words to write because each word pinches the guilt out of me. Guilt of not seeing it earlier, and guilt of being one of the rest of the society to have formed that CONCEPT! I want to acknowledge my friends for who they really are, straight or not. I dont want to be foundering in the torrent of their change nor give myself a right to resist it. As Ive said earlier, we are all humans and we are all EQUALS - whatever their sex preference is, they still deserve to be HAPPY..and acceptance is one of the keys. I salute them for their courage to come out and stand for what they believe in, they are not just the THIRD sex, but I think they are the BRAVEST of us all. Now, who are you to judge them? Think again! "One thing is clear to me, we, as human beings, must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves." --- Barbara Jordan

God's Promise + Waterway

She is named after a waterway with a local tongue reference to spirit, soul or thought. She is petite in height but not so in built. :-) She is funny and reserved at the same time. Easy to converse with yet full of tact. Childish yet responsible. Pretty yet very simple. Her first name is a variant of the Hebrew name Elizabeth which means "God's promise" and indeed she is!

She is someone that you can pour your heart out to yet still have that secured feeling that your privacy was not invaded. She is a type of a friend who would tell you head on the gist of the matter, without if's and but's yet would tackle the issue with you. She is generous with her appreciation and with her laughter. She could rant a mile in a second and be fine in the next hour. She is 'away' when she is not, and really "offline" when she is not supposed to be. My pet names for her are "girl" and "ganda", seldom do I call her by her waterway name unless in the formal chatroom. Consider yourself a very lucky person if you get a reply for SMS sent, and extremely blessed one if she picks up when you call....Oh well, I have been lucky a few times.... She is an avid fan of Silvannas....the reason I gave her two boxes and only one to others... She is a bed hog...and all the while I thought I hold the crown to that. She is always filtering information that for months I never knew her real marital status nor her motherhood experience. While I talk a bulk of Zach stories, she never hinted anything about her kiddos.....her reason - I didnt ask! She is yet to tour me around in her pretty small car...and she is yet to invite me to the resto she co-owns with her hubby and brothers. She goes to her mother's house on weekends, knows Comic Alley very well and plays that game I couldnt even pronounce the name. We like to have coffee session both in our virtual and real life worlds. Our left hand is holding the mug, and the right one is well....holding the bad habit... She is not easy to befriend...but easy to have giggles with... She is my budding travel mate...and a sleeping buddy at that! We have gone here and there.....climbed the peak and went down the falls...mesmerized by the century old and dazed by the rough.. Amidst this chaotic world, she is one sight to behold..and indeed a promise sent by the Heavens... That's Isabelle Diwa for me, my virtual friend...unmasked!

If there were dreams to sell, what would you buy?

My day began badly today and the more I tried to project my sadness, the deeper the pain lingered. I think there will always come a time to motherhood when a child's love towards her parent is measured. This is one of those times. I havent spoken to my ONLY child in almost a month. In those weeks of being incommunicado from him, there was never a day that I did not pray for more strength. I may look tough and hard as shell on the outside, but no one really knows how I suffer inside. I am one person who doesnt dwell too much on sadness so I help myself by emulating Peter Pan. I have a sackful of happy thoughts - ranging from a favorite song, favorite person, favorite adventure..and whatever thought that brought smiles to me. Those are my reliable ammos to shred the pain to bits and pieces.....and yes, it always worked! Today, I needed lots of happy thoughts. I was in my office when this urge to scream and just plainly curse enveloped me. It was damn hard to contain it as I was telling a friend of mine that my heart was just about to explode and that I needed a place to release my anger. She advised me to go home, I refused and readied myself to face it head on. One thing that is always a sure antidote to my woes is music. I have compilations of my favorite songs and when it began to dominate the air, I started to calm down. And then I went to sleep with my happy thoughts with me. I went back to the time when my Dad was still alive, I pictured the smile across his face when he would throw each one of us to the pool - a classic Sunday scenario for the family. That took away half of the pain instantly! I thought about the people who matter to me, why they matter and why I want to matter to them. Every little thought about them added more smiles to me and lesser pain by the minute. Then I finally succumbed to ZZZZZZ land and I was at peace. A gentle hand was trying to wake me up after just few minutes of dozing off....it was Zach. It took me by surprise seeing him in my office after he uttered the words "I dont ever want to talk to you again" 3 weeks back. It took me the second time to open my eyes to realize that indeed it was my prodigal son. He kept saying "sorry" while hugging me tight at the same time. I didnt speak a word and was just looking at him, trying to figure what changed in him physically in the last few weeks that I havent seen him. Oh, that's the mother nature in me that prodded me to do that, not in any way connected to why we had this rift too long.... I am not a nagging type mother, or a woman for that matter. I just asked him why he changed his number without telling me and he was very patient enough to explain why. After that, I went back to sleep - again with more happy thoughts to think about while Zach went to my desk and tinkered with my lappie. While I was trying to catch back the ZZZs that by now were very elusive, I began to daydream of beautiful things. And this is why I borrowed the words of Thomas Lovell Beddoes. So if there were dreams to sell, what would you buy? I want nothing of the grand things, I just want the small things that matter most to me. I dream BIG, not only for myself but for others as well. I would buy my son the gift of LOVE. The LOVE that he can arm himself until his old age, the love that can melt away the pain, and endure the stigma of having separated parents. I would definitely buy him that! I would buy my less privileged friends the gift of RESOURCE, so that when there is patchwork needed to be done in their financial situation, they need not run sweating to look for it in the dark. I would buy the people with so much EGO a GOLDEN PIN to punch a hole to their heads when it gets too big that even them cannot handle it well. I would buy plenty of such as there are many bloated egos roaming around. I would definitely buy a friend of MINE the gift of STABILITY to secure his status, his ambitions, his work and his life in general. I would buy two of that for him so that when all else fail, he has something to help him stand up again. I would like to buy the gift of GAB to my dearest one so that he can speak with kindness, speak the right words at the right time and speak the words that could make him proud of himself. I would buy three of that, one for happiness, one for contentment and one for peace. In all those three, I would like him to buy the gift of JOY for himself so that he can finally go home to his true NORTH. What would I buy for myself? I just want the most simple thing: I want to buy myself the dream of LIFE lived TRULY. I dont need anything, I just want the affirmation at the end of my journey that these will be the words that I will hear from the people who celebrated my life with me, if I could borrow the words of Amy Grant: I may not be every mother's dream for her little girl And my face may not grace the mind of everyone in the world But thats alright as long as I can have one wish, I pray When people look inside my life, I wanna hear them say She's got her father's eyes Her father's eyes Eyes that find the good in things When good is not around Eyes that find the source of help, when help just can't be found Eyes full of compassion, seein' every pain Knowing what you're going through, and feelin' it the same Just like my father's eyes.... How about you? What are the dreams you want to buy?

Virtually Unfolded

Having an online work would also mean running in circle of virtual friends, and that’s what I have since the past year that I have gone full blast in this so-called the web life. Having considered with you the question of what kind of personas dominate the zone, they are varied in sizes, smiles, words and all but I would say it matters not and to some degree it does. The only thing that matters the most is how fast and accurate you could type to make the conversation flowing and interesting. You see, the backbone of a person’s character cannot be well defined in the virtual community, because handshakes can be just graphically done through the emoticons and laughing out loud can be just a simple LOL. Sometimes, the web jargon can easily be interpreted as all hype, no emotions, no bonds, no real friendships. The language spoken has its own interpretation and meaning, just like the twittering or warbling of a bird, very distinct and very different. Some say that virtual is well just virtual….it is just surreal! But in my case, that’s far from the truth. I did form friendships…and a close one at that. And if you ask me if it is worth the faded keyboard and the calloused palm base, I would answer YES outright without a doubt! To this day, I am still a firm believer of the word “fate”. That fate comes in different packages, may it be small or gigantic, the experiences that you will encounter in life is your destiny and that you don’t only follow it but you also own it. You life is already packaged exactly the way you steer it and it is up to you to upgrade it or to leave it the way it is. And for some reason, I am one who pursues hard to see what’s behind the gesture of a small talk or kindness. I see people as unique creation other than my own and I treat friendships as wonderful treasures, including the ones I just formed. That is why I don’t let an opportunity pass by to get to meet in person the very people that keep me sane and insane at the same time amidst the call of la la la land when I am burning hours to finish work online. These are the very people that run in my virtual world and later dwell permanently in my real world. I have met and fathomed many personalities all throughout my existence, most of them stayed beyond years unthinkable, and some of them chose the life without me…but for those who stayed and have put up with me, I thank them beyond the word of gratuity. I am proud to have them…and in this very rare case of having a virtual world, I have extra special words for them. Unfolded before my very eyes is the subtle yet felt way of caring of Isabelle or Diwa as we fondly call her. She may filter much of her personal information but readily opens up when given the opportunity. We act as shock absorbers to each other, I could rant my heart out to her and vice versa. But in between those pouring out moments we know our relationship is not only confined to the face of the screen in front of us. I treat her as my younger sister though most of the time I act the other way around as she could just give me those timely advises I desperately need. That’s Diwa for me, the pretty little girl who drive s a pretty little car. 

Next closest to my heart is Glen, my virtual “lolo”, the solo backpacker from Davao cum Afghan war remnant cum HR specialist. I just started having conversation with him about work and ended having a lot of LOL moments. I like chatting with him as we can express ourselves in our native dialect, it makes the scandal more scandalous and gossips much magnified.  There was never a day that we didn’t get to talk about the candidates, the funny messages or irritating messages we get from them and what not? Then when we are both satisfied with our work output, we celebrate it with NAICHA! That’s Glenn for me, the only person who took my tantrums as just a girl thingy!

The first person I met first among my virtual family is Claire, the small, poetic girl from Davao who takes HR job so seriously that when her candidates fall short of the score threshold, she would die a little bit inside. She gave me another perspective when it comes to writing, she writes more sense than me, but I interject another facet of reality to her protected life that made us good friends even if she already left the recruitment team. That’s Claire for me, the girl who still believes in the sincerity of sending Christmas cards through snail mail.

Next person I had a chance to know more is Jo, my inviter buddy. She believes in toeing the line all the time. She never strayed from what is the norm and though we do see things differently, we always agree to give the best output as a team and that made things easy for us. After 3 small cups of Starbucks refillable water and a tall glass of iced tea, I got to learn the other side of Jo, and that is our similarities in our single blessedness. That is Jo for me, the woman who prefers fresh air from the farm rather than the excruciating heat in the city. The one guy who I don’t talk much on chat but got to know in person is Kyle. He looked more mature in his picture than in person, and I am glad I saw that in him as I would forever wonder if we are of the same age just basing my opinion on the virtual things I see.  I admire him for helping himself take out the bad habit of smoking from his system. I hope I can use him as my model to do the same. Funny thing is when he was smoking his e-cig inside the coffee shop, my foot was raring to kick his ass off because of envy, good thing they agreed to go out to give me the chance to smoke real filtered cigarettes. Oh for now, I prefer the odd taste of my Marlboro reds.  That’s Kyle for me, the baby in the family but has the same habits as his older virtual sibs. 

Next guy I took the chance to meet in person is Bingo, but I prefer calling him by his real name: Modesto. Given the fact that he is half Korean and half Filipino, I would like to see him more Filipino in his ways and calling him Modesto would sound more nationalistic, right? Bingo is one recruitment team member who gives sunshiny thoughts to your gloomy morning when he would paste senseless but thoughtful messages in the chatroom. Whatever you tell him to do, he would readily say yes although it doesn’t mean he would do it right away.  I had the privilege to stamp a milestone achievement to my life when he introduced me to Korean drink SOJU. It tested my alcohol intake capacity and when I was already seeing doubles, he was gracious enough to take me to the nearest Starbucks. Thanks to him for bringing me to that Korean bar which name he cant remember even if he always frequented the place.  That’s Bingo for me, unpredictable and loud yet funny and sensible inside. The last person I am going to talk about is our Recruitment Team Manager Angel who acts as a glue that holds us strong as a sourcing department. She speaks impeccable English, very polished and very fluent. I admire her for handling us all with grace though sometimes we don’t know if we should befriend her or just plainly fear her.  When I met her in person, I realized that I could just be myself with her, and that I could talk about things the way HUMAN BEINGS do. Not only that she gave us the chance to have a time to bond with each other, she also shared part of her with us openly and that is one precious memory I would always cherish about her. That’s Angel for me, fierce yet friendly. 

In this life, the opportunities you have to be a friend to someone else will always be there. It could happen while in line in a grocery store or while having your hair done in a parlor. Take those chances, because the life you share with other people is the testimony of the life you have lived. In every person that you touch base with, you will always have something you can teach or learn. Friendship is just like any other relationship, you need to keep it constantly nurtured so it would grow healthy and sound along with your character and outlook in life. I am thankful that even if my life revolves around the virtual world, I do still have opened doors to make friends, and the people I mention above are just few of them. One friend of mine commented that since I became full time with my online job I became anti-social, he just doesn’t know that the party never ends in the virtual world.  Pizza and beer can be ordered in just few clicks and laughs can be rolling over the floor or just simply laughing out loud.

That’s my virtual family for me, seems like just an imagination but so REAL to me!

Extremely Close & Incredibly Loud

You might be wondering what the title is about, it somehow sounds familiar but not perfectly correct? In fact, you are quite right with your confusion, because this entry is actually about the movie "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" only that I interchanged the two words...and here's why:

I saw the title of this movie when I was searching for something to download but didnt mind it because the title itself sounds weird...but one day, while I was on Skype, one former applicant from my online job popped this conversation saying "hey, there's this movie I want you to watch". The curiosity in me readily jumped to the suggestion and found my way downloading the same. Well,it has been sitting in my downloads folder for few days before I got the chance to watch it. The first time was a disaster as I fell asleep even when it was just starting.. and finally today, I watched it.

Gee, I couldnt be more glad that I came to my senses to finally do it despite knowing that I would lose some sleep just to be able to finish it. ( Watched it after logging out from my online job.....to be exact 4am)

The movie is about a boy (Oskar)who lost his father in 9/11. There was this key that he found in his Dad's closet with a word "BLACK" outside the small envelope where it was kept. That put him on a journey to find anyone surnamed "Black" and also the start of discovering more things about the people around him , strangers and even about himself. The little boy is a thinking machine, quite smart but has the usual tantrums that all kids do at his age. While searching for the lock that would pair to the key he was holding, he felt he was moving closer to his father but further away from his mom. The movie not only depicted how someone could react to losing someone so dear, but evidently, it tackled how a BOY could exactly feel knowing that someone is never coming back.

The movie focused on the young boy's thoughts and feelings, so it was more in narration and you really have to listen to every word as not to stray from its flow. The scenes between the young boy and his grandfather proved to be so carefully calculated as it was never established that they were related but then the "unusual" conversations between them could not let you hold back your tears as you would then realize in your thoughts that they are both suffering.

Towards the end of the movie, I couldnt help crying especially during the scene when Oskar finally had the answer to the key mystery. When he dashed out from the building into the train and was seen really drained from all the emotional coaster ride of his search, I wanted to give the boy a HUG! It was a huge thing, and placing myself in his shoes, I think I would react much worse than him. Knowing that your search is finally over but at the back of your mind, you knew that it was not the way you wanted it to be - it is really something to drain your spirit whole.

The scene when he was hysterical and his Mom had to appease him also used up both tissue and energy in me. It must have been hard for the mother to hear his child saying something like "I wish it was you there in the building on that day" during one of their shouting matches. But during that time when Oskar poured out his emotions to his mother, only then he knew that his mother was with him in his journey.

There were mixed reviews on this movie, but I would lean to the ones who gave a thumbs up sign because the movie moved me bigtime and even if it gave me salty tears or fictitious revelations, still it gave me new learnings. I would not ever regret watching a movie that would give me some thoughts to ponder upon and some time alone for me to reflect on how I have lived my life whatever my age may be. But most of all, I liked the movie because it brought the memories of my father real again. I reminisce the time the whole family would be swamped in the car and head to the beach, the time I had an argument with my father about the Bible, the time he bought me the Yukele and all other things about who he was and how he has made impact to my life and how I have lived to be still missing him until now.

If you have lost a parent, maybe you would understand what Im saying and maybe then, the movie will make sense just when you thought it wont.

Now I dont need to explain further about the movie, just watch the rest and figure it out to yourself if we share the same sentiments, but then I must let you know why I came up with this twisted title of this entry...well here it is:

I watched the movie at wee hour at exactly 4am when everyone were asleep in the apartment Im sharing with some friends. The laptop is placed on a stool EXTREMELY CLOSE to my bed and the earphones plugged to it that made the audio INCREDIBLY LOUD!

Let me leave you these lines from the book where this movie was lifted from:

“So many people enter and leave your life! Hundreds of thousands of people! You have to keep the door open so they can come in! But it also means you have to let them go!”
― Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close


Bye for now and see you at the movies!!!

When THINGS turn SOUR, just add SUGAR!

There will always be rough patches in one's journey. Things happen, all we have to do is face it and live it. I recently received a new job offer that would mean relocation. It was something I wanted to explore - new surroundings, new boss, new kind of work - in short, NEW LIFE! But then, at the back of my mind, there was this hesitation, and when hesitation lingers, it becomes a dilemma.

I have decided to test the waters, meet my would-be-employer and see how it goes. So I booked a flight to Manila and prepared myself for a possible exploratory talk. My companion was the one who actually offered me this job for this employer - promises of bigger pay, commissions and travel meant a great deal to me plus the fact that I would be uprooted from the island which I called "home" for the last 10 years of my life.

First day came easy, our hostess graciously lent one unit of her condo for us to stay in. We were in a high-rise building, safe neighborhood, posh malls and most of all - we were treated to sumptuous meals. But that only lasted for a day...apparently, my hostess cared so much for her privacy that I am not permitted to meet friends while Im in her care. This was okay for me, except that she didnt tell us ahead of her rules, so when she learned that a girl friend of mine came to visit, she freaked out. That triggered the alarm...I could not have an employer who could not TRUST me. We were on different floors - in fact we took different elevators to reach our respective condo units...so I dont find any logic that she would not allow me to have friends over when in fact, there is only a remote possibility that they would cross paths. But since those are her rules, I have to live by it...and above it all, she owns the unit, so I had no right to mess with her rules. The problem is that she offered that unit for me if I accept the offer, so that makes it complicated. I decided right there and then that I want my FREEDOM more than I want FAT PAYCHECK...so I guess there's no need to tell you the outcome of that offer as it is obviously screaming! Thing went sour #1.

Whenever Im in town, I always try to touch base with my friends and peers. So I carefully plot out my schedule to meet them all. I went to see my former boss but he was so busy that he could only allot 30 minutes of his time to me, and that short time was interrupted by occasional knocks from his secretary for more visitors waiting outside to meet him...thing went sour #2.

Another friend couldnt spare more time with me than just 2 hours of lunch as he is also very busy. I tried hard to be within reach (literally)so I would not rob so much of his precious time, but then he always REFUSED...I could only meet him when he is free which for me is too much for me to adjust to. To think that he is part of my IT makes it thing went sour #3. This one disappointed me a great deal because I had expectations...but then....

So when things went sour..I had to do something - and there - the sugar just came from heavens. My friend Eunice went out of her way to meet me - she has never done this before - so when she came to visit me in my hotel ( I moved out from the condo of my hostess when my companion flew back home ahead of me)I was touched. In fact, when she learned I have had no decent meal yet for the day, she bought me a congee and delivered it to my room just when I thought she was already heading home. Next was the visit of my other friend Stephanie, she too made sure that I wont be sleeping alone in my apartment suite..it was a gesture I never expected her to do because on my previous trips to Manila - we never arranged for meet ups. She even brought me a gift to think that we are not that really close. This was another cube of sugar from heaven! Of course I could not thank Maya enough for filing a leave to see me and accompany me to the office of my former boss - she too is another spoonful of sugar!
My gDev peers also took time to travel 2 hours to meet me -even for just a quick dinner and coffee...they too made my day! Jomz and partner also made sure I could visit my fave bar - Zemen took care of me while I was there...my gee, they all erased the sourness of my trip.

I have realized that when some people let you down, there are still others who would cheer you up. I almost decided that this trip was my worst trip ever, but with these people around, I decided otherwise.

So my trip was not really wasted - I have proven so many things - expectations versus determination, promises versus delivery, money versus principles and friends versus acquaintances - now I would say that sugar is still best for things gone sour. I just have proven it!!!

Tomorrow I am heading home and I would carry with me a thankful heart for the people who made my trip so SWEET!

More sugar please....!

Feels like HOME...

Today I had a chat with someone I barely knew, yet when I was exchanging messages with him, I felt there was some connection between us. It wasnt something I expected at the very beginning but rather felt somewhere along the way, do you ever get that feeling?

This man would sometime interject some lines in our conversations that would catch me off guard, and for me that was already something to bedazzle me. He told me one time that he got dumbfounded and speechless with the things I say to him, but in reality, I am the one amazed with how fast he could read my mind and how fast he could react to my silly antics. I would say, we are at par with our elocution.

He is very open-minded though very direct to the point when stressing some facts. He is not shy with words, mind you, and he never runs out of things to say, so the talkative in me cowardly goes back to its nutshell...lol!

Although we often poke each other with dearly insults and brutal sweetness, I dont forget the fact that we are just in the stage of knowing each other..but it seems it is going pretty well for now. Heavens must have given its blessings! Amen!

One thing I am apprehensive about is the cliche that says "too much flattery will not get you anywhere", so its the only one keeping me from divulging more of what is "ME"...but then on hindsight, I am a risk-taker when it comes to personal relationships...so might as well be "ME" and see what happens!

I am not perfect, I dont have a figure that would make men take a second look ( well, if you ask me that 15 years ago, I would have given you outright a big fat YES answer, but not now!), I fell short of my self-expectations, I do not travel first class and I dont even drive! But one thing I could say about me is that I am who I am, and I want to be accepted for who I am and even for who Im not!

For this man who is making me smile, I wanna say thank you, coz not everyday that we get to meet new people, to better say it, not everyday that we get to meet a GOOD person, so thanks HEAPS!

I wanna end my entry today by saying I feel so lucky to be surrounded by things and people I love..my music, my writings, my work, my son, my family, my friends, my peers and most of all, by strangers who try not be one to me.

You are all HOME to me!