The Pseudo Covenant

Around three years ago, I, together with four of my friends at the office, made a list of goals we should achieve for the next five years. As part of the pseudo pact, we are supposed evaluate who among us has accomplished the most items on our list. We are required to bring proofs that we have, indeed, completed what we claim we have completed. Our contract expires on 13 December 2010. A dinner is also due by then.

As I stare at my copy of the said “contract” which, for some reason, took form from obscurity today, I cannot help but admire all five of us because despite how mundane and static life can get, we knew how to dream big dreams and target remarkable goals.

But as I zeroed-in to my own list, I realized how close I have been to my own set of goals and at the same time I got frustrated because I always seem to come short.

In the hopes of committing myself to the pact, I have decided to make my list public and add comments as to how far I have gone in accomplishing them.

Hold on to something!

1. Launch my T-shirt business. I remain to be a fan of T-shirts and make mental notes of what captions or designs would be nice on T-shirts but I don’t have a T-shirt business. Not at this time.

2. Have my own column…kung pwede sa Inquirer. I have my blog but I don’t have my own column to boast. Although, my second Youngblood piece which came out December 2007 assures me that, if I work harder and if I write more, I just might
get that column I’m dreaming of.

3. Mag-book launching sa Powerbooks…yung ako ang bida…ako ang magsa-sign ng books! Or makasali (at manalo) ng Planca Award. Yesterday, I got a taste of launching a book and signing them. But I’m not the author of any of the stories in that book. I’m a mere 1/3 of the editors. And the launching wasn’t held at any Powerbooks branch. With regard the Palanca, I have selected my category, but that’s about it.

4. Be the creator of a TV show na papanoorin ko. Uhh, I think I need a scriptwriting workshop before I can attend to this item.

5. Write a play na i-stage sa CCP, UP Theater, DL Umali Hall (UPLB) or Meralco Theater. Well one of my two plays had been staged in Calamba Laguna’s Plaza during their art festival last year. Unfortunately, I could not be there to watch it and the organizers weren’t accommodating (and grateful) enough to at least show me some pictures of the said event. I still feel bad about it.

6. Teach kahit isang sem lang. I am teaching alright. But my one class doesn’t make me that much of a teacher.

7. Magkaroon ng natatakang passport. I got my passport one week ago. I have yet to leave the country to accomplish this goal.

8. Get a driver’s license at, bilang prerequisite, learn how to drive. My excuse for this item? I don’t have the money to enroll myself in a driving school. Plus I cannot bare dishing out what-could-have-been my tuition for one semester in UP for a three to five sessions of driving class.

9. Act, sing and/or dance on stage—seryosong production ito ha. Umm…ahhh…Bakit ko nga nilagay ito?!

10. Contribute something good to humankind. I sort of organized a gift-giving for the patients at PCMC but it was fueled by a personal reason that doesn’t have anything to do with doing good to humankind. I am far from accomplished.

So there. I have 35 months left to exhaust all my energy to get to where I hoped to go as bound by the pseudo covenant I signed 13 December 2005 together wih four of my office friends, with Kuya Lody and Ms. Jette as our witnesses.