A Child at the End of this thing called Life

Whenever I encounter patients with illnesses, I always feel sorry for them because nobody wanted to be sick. Life is something to be cherished and felt with others and not alone in a bed. That is why, it is with a heavy heart that I enter the wards in the hospital. However, it's even more heartbreaking if the one I'm entering is the pediatrics ward or the pediatric ICU. I mean they're so young -still kids. They have so many things to see, so many new things to learn. They're supposed to grow old - not die when they haven't experienced life yet. It seems so unfair but there's no one to blame really.

I remember a female classmate who had two younger brothers. The youngest was diagnosed with leukemia at stage III. At a very young age, he died of cancer. The parents felt so depressed and incompetent being physicians and not being able to cure their child. It's not their fault, but if there's no one to blame, you can only blame yourself. The other members of the family felt lost and shocked too. Frankly, we were all shocked. He was just 6 years old.

Cancer is such a bad friend. It is not content in devouring you slowly but it also aims to be passed on to your children. To counter it, you have to have a good constitution and outlook in life. When the very old become devastated, how more would it be in the very young?

In my duty days at the Cancer Institute, I always found myself wondering what kind of persons these children will be when they grow up? Will they have extra strength because of the burden they have carried or will they be weak because of the unwanted dependence they have on their significant others? What about their family? Their siblings if there are any? How do they grow up having all the attention on the sickly child in the house?

This touching video inspired me to resurrect these feelings and thoughts I had inside my mind that remained dormant for a long time. Very simple but heart-wrenching.

~ Babble by brownbeat

On Beauty Contests and Contestants

I like watching beauty contests. Not because I want to join one nor is it because I like being visually entertained. I watch beauty contests due to the question and answer (Q & A) portion which usually occurs at the end of the program. I like them not because I love watching beautiful ladies make a fool out of themselves nor do I view it as reinforcement of the famous belief that beauty is only on the surface ( I absolutely do not believe that!).

In all honesty, I watch it because of the very interesting questions themselves and the vast possibility of answers that could be given in return. Ask any professional on beauty pageants and he or she will tell you that the Q & A is the most crucial part because it decides who wins.

This is the portion where the contestant is given the opportunity to show everyone that beneath her gorgeous body and pretty face lies a woman equipped with brains and attitude. How she answers a tricky (which they usually are) question will reveal the qualities she holds dear and true to her heart. It also tells us the level of confidence she has about her self and her convictions.

Now, I have a list of interesting examples of women who displayed wit and didn't crumble under pressure. (Most examples are from the Philippines as they usually are the first to pop up in Google). I take these ones from this site.

Margie Moran

MARGIE MORAN was asked during the 1973 Miss Universe Contest: "What’s the difference between being Miss Universe and being a Filipina?" Her reply: "Being Miss Universe is like having a birthstone, you may lose it. Being a Filipina is like having a birthmark, its forever."

Ruffa Gutierrez

RUFFA GUTIERREZ at the1993 Miss World Contest: "How would you tell a girl who’s suffering from low self-esteem to feel better about herself? "Her reply: "I’ll tell her to believe in herself because it’s not only physical beauty that’s important but also inner beauty. Like what the Little Prince said, "What is essential is invisible to the naked eye. And I believe that character and personality are more important than physical beauty."

Oxana Fedorova

OXANA FEDOROVA (Miss Russia) at 2002 Miss Universe Contest: "What makes you blush?" Her reply: "When I say the wrong things".

Mpule Kwelagobe

MPULE KWELAGOBE (Miss Botswana) at the 1999 Miss Universe Contest: "Should Miss Universe be allowed to keep her crown if she became pregnant? "Her reply: "Personally, I think it should not in any way interrupt her duties. She should be allowed to celebrate her femininity."

Sushmita Sen

SUSHMITA SEN (Miss India) at the 1994 Miss Universe Contest: "What’s the essence of being a woman? "Her reply: "Just being a woman is God’s gift. The origin of a child is a mother, a woman. Woman is sharing, she shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about. That is the essence of a woman."

Gloria Diaz

GLORIA DIAZ at 1969 Miss Universe Contest: "If the man from the moon landed in your hometown, what would you do to entertain him? "Her reply: "I guess since he has been in the moon so long, he would enjoy anything that an ordinary man would."


Great ladies, aren't they?

~ Babble by brownbeat

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

It's already morning and I have nothing else to do but entertain myself because I can't sleep. I've been listening to the song Get It Right performed by Lea Michele on Glee for the original songs episode. And I've realized one thing. I do not have something worth living for. I don't have a dream.

When I was young, all I wanted was to get into a decent school, have decent grades, land a decent job and own decent possessions. I didn't realize I have to have specifics. I thought wanting a dream life is enough - and now that I'm older, I realized it isn't.

What makes a person strive? What possesses him to be better? What ignites his passions? What makes him want to live? The answer is simple - having a desire that overrides everything else.

I am a very practical person that is why I seldom make demands even on myself. I take life as it is. But sometimes, living life isn't enough. You have to live a great life. A dream-driven life.

~ Babble by brownbeat