No I didn’t make it to the cast of Hawaii Five-O’s new season coming this Fall. One I am from the Evergreen Green of Washington and CBS won’t look at me as a big star worthy of shuttling back and forth aboard Hawaii airline from SEA to HNL. And two, there is no casting call for a Tagalog speaking character in a scene that might be shot in Waipahu.
Anyway, yesterday I became part of Kent Senior Center as I turned 50. If I am in PH and still in the active military service; I am six years away from taking my retirement. But I decided to leave the service early as a Captain in the Army. Saying that I was wondering why my brother who enlisted in the USAF at 18, retired at 47 as MSgt.? He is now working for Boeing Co. – the 747 maker though he will be on the 737 production plant as one of its engineers. But I am here in my host country, working for Dept of Veterans Affairs. To get my retirement benefits, I will retire at 67 to complete 20 years.
Can I still run til my retirement age? I don’t know ? But yesterday, I decided to do a birthday run of 5 miles; 20 laps in Kentwood HS track while the high school’s American football team practice. No wire or iphone/ipod. Yes I have ipod connected to my nike+ to monitor my distance/pace and total time. Each lap, I designated it as 2.5 of my life. First lap was a breeze, doesn’t remember much of my first 2.5 years as a growing infant in Caloocan/Cabiao. Laps 8/9 were my last teens and early twenties. My junior/senior years in an all-male (then but it is coed now) exclusive school in Baguio. Then my younger years in the military service deployed in Lanao Del Norte. These were the days my friend I thought will never end like the song goes – we sang and dance after each back breaking foot patrols. Laps 10/11/12 surviving several coup de etats while protecting P-noy, Kris A and off course Tita Cory. I was married in Malacanang Park. My two children were born in the station hospital located in that park too. The last six laps were the hardest – physically my most runs were only 2-milers so I have to slow down my pace at some point walk (I only did that for 200 meters) . Emotionally, it also echoed my life as I faced the challenged of divorce. Anyway after 57’14″ – I lapped back in time. I tried not to look back so much as I did my laps. “Don’t luck bad its bad luck” quoting the character of Sandra Bullocks in Hope Float as she drove away with her daughter to leave her familiar life and a broken marriage.
As I walked away from the track, I realized that this is getting into the big Five-O, you get a lot of life experiences/lessons to help you make it to another 50 years. Next next I will be back again in a track. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lu_uyulrZI
