White hair triple chocolate biscuits Todos los Santos atbp
October 18, 2008
Dear batchmates,
Not much memories to share today, Im afraid. More like the present, how YLB deals with it, and if we're anything like the rest of us, our way of comparing notes with how the rest of us are doing the same...
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It was a sad morning that greeted us in front of the mirror earlier. Whilst applying mini-droplets of precious Myra Vitamin E face cream on wrinkle-prone areas of YLB's mug, we were horrified to find the first white hair near the crown of our formerly hirsute head. To clarify, we had spotted white hairs before, near the temples and, to be honest, other types of facial hair. (btw: a batchmate once commented that his/her spouse was depressed to find white facial hairs growing, and we realized that ANY out-of-place facial hair, whatever the color, has always been dismaying. If this is true for males, it must be MORE true for females) BUT to see it near the top of our forehead was as inevitable a reminder of mortality as any. ( Strains of Fiddler on The Roof's Sunrise, Sunset may now be played in the background. ) We had just gotten over the abuse of the body during our 20s, the wisdom teeth and occupational wear-and-tear of the 30s, and now middle age suddenly jumps on your back, from behind a blind corner / dark alley? Bakit naman po? Have a heart Kuya?
We should have seen the signs, actually. Not only are 2 of the 3 kidz well past childhood, but an elder brother is turning 50 in two years (that's right... the big FIVE - OH. No Hawaii jokes please). Another brother has also been flirting with heart murmur and mild hypertension, and of course the olds have just become septuagenarians, youthfulness notwithstanding.
But still, we cant help but cast a wistful eye at the rapidly vanishing vestiges of bata batuta-hood, with all its trappings of unpredictability and immaturity. We still love to run around the block without bothering to stretch any of the reluctant muscles (risking a sprain or worse, a torn ligament or two in the process), stay awake 20 straight hours as if we were as young as our former call center workmates, and drink stale beer and chomp week-old peanuts till we're ready to puke, sorry for that (... but those insane episodes are happening less and less, thank God...)
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Especially now, when there are still so many new things to taste and enjoy. Did you know that we recently saw on grocery shelves a TRIPLE chocolate biscuit? By way of explanation : we are a relapsed-recovering -chocoholic, starting way back in HS when YoungTang's Nestle Crunch introduced us to the forbidden treat, we have been slave to chocolate for as long as we could remember. More than a few of our molars, however got chipped and subsequently declared M.I.A. (missing in action) because of our preoccupation with this blessing / bane. Likewise, diabetes from both sides of the family (2 of 4 grandparents) would sooner rather than later aggravate our high blood sugar. So while we have religiously stayed away from chocolate bars for all the right (diabetic & dental)reasons, its not so bad naman to engage in a little fling now and then with biscuits diba? There are now also mini-triathlons, "fun runs", and other such pursuits that remind you that once you were young, even for a little while. Just in case you don't believe us, the triple chocolate is a chocolate syrupy center sandwiched by mocha fingers (which are themselves partly chocolate) and SMOTHERED on the outside with milk chocolate... if God believed that we could humanly resist avoiding chocolate, he would not have allowed the invention of double chocolate, not to mention triple chocolate biscuits.
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Not that we didnt have our share of sweets and goodies when we were much younger. Serg's and Goya weren't Nestle Cruch and Cadbury Fruit and Nut, but they werent bad either. 60 centavos got you a bar, and if you weren't above licking your fingers after stuffing the rapidly melting bar into your mouth (wait for the sugar rush... ahh), life was still bearable till afternoon merienda. Near our lola's Paco residence was a corner sari-sari store where we scored our first "jawbreaker" ("proudly made in Malabon" said the wrapper) whose food coloring dripped down the sides of your cheeks within seconds of placing it in the mouth... does anyone remember that?
We cracked a tooth once, chewing NIPS (the Gokongwei version of M&Ms) a bit too enthusiastically, and we were intrigued by the orange chews (dont remember the brand anymore) sold together with Storck, Halls, Juicy Fruit and cigarets by sidewalk vendors / yosi boys. These precursors of gummy bears were actually nothing much more than slivers of flour dipped in orange food dye and sweetened 10 times the natural flavor, except that the makers often didnt even bother with confectionary sugar. You could see and feel the granules of sugar all over the plastic, your fingers, and later, into your pockets. (pwedeng pang kape) Still loved it, though. When you think about the wanton excess of sugar and (artificial) fats you poured into your body with abandon, makes you wonder how you can still enjoy life relatively illness free today (knock-knock) , doesnt it?
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As if this post wasnt kilometric enough, we respectfully wish to end it with a few lines about remembering those who left us early, going off into the next plane of existence. Some schools of thought (esp in psychology and sociology) point out that those who survive their loved ones tend to "idealize" the memory of their loved ones... how we focus on their achievements, strong points, and how we gloss over their flaws and imperfections. Almost to the point of distorting the true memory of the departed ones, at the expense of accuracy.
We would like to say, in all humility, is this so bad? In a hundred years, NO ONE will care or know the difference. Wouldnt it be better for everyone if we remembered the departed person in the best light possible, to enshrine what the person believed in the most and to keep alive his / her inspiration? There is a belief in most cultures that we give great value or respect to the last utterances or wishes of the dying, and we would be a far better society if we continued this tradition.
A most meaningful All Saints' Day / All Souls' Day, to all kabatch...
COMMENTS From Hedy October 18, 2008 Another good one, Ahia!
Putting my own vanity aside, I admit I have been losing my own battle against gray hairs. They seem to be popping up more and more--the pesky kind that just sticks out at the top of my head waiting to be seen and recognized by the world. Good thing I do not have eyes at the back of my head (where my youngest daughter tells me there is much more) as I will pluck each and every one of them out with a vengeance. Ha! Thank God for small mercies like permanent hair color and hi-lights. I know I cannot win the battle with age, but I have made a decision to embrace it with grace. After all, I have a daughter turning 20 in 2 weeks.
By the way, my favorite candies were Sugus and Fruitella fruit chews. They were the best. My cousin and I used to finish a whole bag in one sitting! I've always had, and still have, a sweet tooth--not something I would advertise to my dentist. Just skip this part, Doc Mare.
Happy Birthday to all October celebrants.
Hedy
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