13 things I learned from my FATHER (that his grandsons should know)
My Tatay here is not posing as The Thinker;
He is just admiring the karsts of El Nido, Palawan.
Top things I learned from my FATHER*
(that his grandsons should know)
I bet that one epic lesson in life that every child has learned to live by as he grows up is "Follow what I say but do not follow what I do," referring altogether to the parent's advices and parent's misdeeds. But this one lesson is not the sum of everything there is, of course, because there are gems along the path considering one cannot live by the words of our parents only but also by what they do without their knowing that they are giving their best. Actually, to sketch my father's personality, I will be talking about his equal love for the spirits (his damnation), for the education (his redemption) and for his kitchen (his charm). So what can be learned from a father who is the center of this love triangle? A lot.
As one family friend unsolicitedly whispered to me, “Eversince your father is young, I can always tell that he is the kind who will have a 'future.'” Referring to my father's industry coupled with his dedication in pursuing his education.
Hence, here are some of the things I learned from my father that his grandkids should know and learn from too.
1. No swearing. Get angry but no swearing. I think, above all else, this is a sign that we have a good breeding.
2. Answer him with “Yes, Tay?” or “What, Tay?” and not “Yes?!” or “What?!” When called for, always answer with the name of the caller, even if one is already angry at him/her.
3. Non-living things have life. Of course, he is saying it not in a scientific way. He always insists we clean up the dishes as the plates and glasses (even pots!) need to rest too, like us humans. So this is our household cult belief.
4. Return what you borrowed. Otherwise, you can't borrow the next time; I may say that is the wisdom. But my father is a good neighbor because to this one, he justified that the owner needs his stuff, that is why he bought them in the first place.
5. Return things in their designated places. So you will know where to go to next time when you need them. Never dare to leave your glass in the living room because it belongs to the kitchen. Otherwise, be ready to catch it with a baseball glove!
6. Food bills first to avoid hospital bills. Eat well even if it means spending a lot on nutritious food; it is better than getting sick and paying the bills. Weekends when we were little means big meat stews with lots of vegetables. We did not grow up buying from carinderia and I intend to keep that tradition.
7. Pick up small stuffs. Nails, staple wire, one fork, cut lumber, and the likes have to be picked up. They cost a lot when you need to buy them in bulk when you need only one piece.
8. Education is emancipation to poverty. My father was encouraging us since time immemorial that we should take up some courses in college. He said, it is a wealth that cannot be robbed from us. He also welcomed relatives to our doorsteps in the name of education.
9. Tenacity is the key. If you cannot understand the lesson, study. If your classmates got it after studying for two hours, do not worry. “Study for two more hours, I don't think you cannot get the lessons right by then,” he would say.
10. I am the father. And I cook. (Calling the men of this kind out there.) My mother has a career and my father cooks. Hence, gender is not an issue in our home.
11. Never empty the ricekeeper. This is a taboo in our household so that when our storage is almost depleted, we call 911 to buy a sack of rice.
12. Buy in bulk. He hates buying in the sari-sari store for the necessities. Aside from inconvenience, my Wais na Tatay reasoned that it is costly in the end if you buy in the sari sari store for one stuff than buying a bulk of tomatoes, onions, or garlic in the wet market for a weekly supply or a gallon of oil, soy sauce or brown sugar for a monthly supply.
13. Dry meal will dry your brain. So we were all accustomed having sinigang, bulalo or sotanghon soup. A father declaring that having a dry meal will dry our brain is effective, even if the era of Walking Dead has not yet commenced at the time. We all gladly sip soup even though we have no idea what happens to a flooded brain.
*I reserve my right to lengthen this as I progress in my writing.
Top things I learned from my FATHER*
(that his grandsons should know)
I bet that one epic lesson in life that every child has learned to live by as he grows up is "Follow what I say but do not follow what I do," referring altogether to the parent's advices and parent's misdeeds. But this one lesson is not the sum of everything there is, of course, because there are gems along the path considering one cannot live by the words of our parents only but also by what they do without their knowing that they are giving their best. Actually, to sketch my father's personality, I will be talking about his equal love for the spirits (his damnation), for the education (his redemption) and for his kitchen (his charm). So what can be learned from a father who is the center of this love triangle? A lot.
As one family friend unsolicitedly whispered to me, “Eversince your father is young, I can always tell that he is the kind who will have a 'future.'” Referring to my father's industry coupled with his dedication in pursuing his education.
Hence, here are some of the things I learned from my father that his grandkids should know and learn from too.
1. No swearing. Get angry but no swearing. I think, above all else, this is a sign that we have a good breeding.
2. Answer him with “Yes, Tay?” or “What, Tay?” and not “Yes?!” or “What?!” When called for, always answer with the name of the caller, even if one is already angry at him/her.
3. Non-living things have life. Of course, he is saying it not in a scientific way. He always insists we clean up the dishes as the plates and glasses (even pots!) need to rest too, like us humans. So this is our household cult belief.
4. Return what you borrowed. Otherwise, you can't borrow the next time; I may say that is the wisdom. But my father is a good neighbor because to this one, he justified that the owner needs his stuff, that is why he bought them in the first place.
5. Return things in their designated places. So you will know where to go to next time when you need them. Never dare to leave your glass in the living room because it belongs to the kitchen. Otherwise, be ready to catch it with a baseball glove!
6. Food bills first to avoid hospital bills. Eat well even if it means spending a lot on nutritious food; it is better than getting sick and paying the bills. Weekends when we were little means big meat stews with lots of vegetables. We did not grow up buying from carinderia and I intend to keep that tradition.
7. Pick up small stuffs. Nails, staple wire, one fork, cut lumber, and the likes have to be picked up. They cost a lot when you need to buy them in bulk when you need only one piece.
8. Education is emancipation to poverty. My father was encouraging us since time immemorial that we should take up some courses in college. He said, it is a wealth that cannot be robbed from us. He also welcomed relatives to our doorsteps in the name of education.
9. Tenacity is the key. If you cannot understand the lesson, study. If your classmates got it after studying for two hours, do not worry. “Study for two more hours, I don't think you cannot get the lessons right by then,” he would say.
10. I am the father. And I cook. (Calling the men of this kind out there.) My mother has a career and my father cooks. Hence, gender is not an issue in our home.
11. Never empty the ricekeeper. This is a taboo in our household so that when our storage is almost depleted, we call 911 to buy a sack of rice.
12. Buy in bulk. He hates buying in the sari-sari store for the necessities. Aside from inconvenience, my Wais na Tatay reasoned that it is costly in the end if you buy in the sari sari store for one stuff than buying a bulk of tomatoes, onions, or garlic in the wet market for a weekly supply or a gallon of oil, soy sauce or brown sugar for a monthly supply.
13. Dry meal will dry your brain. So we were all accustomed having sinigang, bulalo or sotanghon soup. A father declaring that having a dry meal will dry our brain is effective, even if the era of Walking Dead has not yet commenced at the time. We all gladly sip soup even though we have no idea what happens to a flooded brain.
*I reserve my right to lengthen this as I progress in my writing.
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