Letter to Myself One Year From Now

 

Dear Vincent, 

 

If you are reading this, you probably adjusting to new protocols as the society may be getting back to normal after receiving doses of the vaccine.

EDSA during the first lockdown

The first year of the pandemic lockdown and quarantine was never easy. The world seems to turn upside down. Remember when you went home walking from Megamall to Guadalupe bridge early morning when the public transportation was suddenly suspended without advance notice. When the lockdown began and the only world now is within the four sides of your home. When you went back to work to 2 weeks later after the lockdown implemented and stayed for two months within the building premises.

You felt like you are working in another region because the only communication is through the phone and thanks to the internet, you can contact the family through video calls. When the lockdown measures were removed to lesser health protocols, we thought everything will be normal again.

Unfortunately, not all business establishments returned to operate. Most already ceased to operate due to bankruptcy. You didn’t realize sooner how it will affect your work. Since most of the events and shows are getting cancelled, all we did was refunding money back to the ticket buyers. Until the business is no longer able to sustain the manpower. One by one we continue to decrease as months passes by. Until this year, it was your turn to make an exit.

New Normal in public transport

Again, your whole world went upside down when it happened. You not only struggled when you lost your work due to the pandemic, you also are not able to walk due to the painful swelling on the foot you got during another lockdown. Until now, you are still getting back to the doctor to find the cause of the swelling.

These may be challenging times but it only shows how our family persevere. When two of our family members lost their job before you did, it opened new opportunities for them to start business. Also, the pandemic brought as back to act as community again just like in the provinces when life was simpler.

You have the family and the community to rely on. The current local city government didn’t forget its constituents. Just like in the biblical times when Joseph became governor of Egypt, he was able to save the people from famine. This just shows that challenges are meant to be overcome.

I leave you now with the inspirational speech from one of our favorite movies. Please read it in the context of the pandemic.

“Mankind-that word should have a new meaning for us today. We cannot be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. You will be once again fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression or persecution but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live, to exist.”

 

“…the world will declare in one voice: We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight. We’re going to live on. We’re going to survive. Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!”

 From yours in time,

Vincent

 July 18, 2021.

"This story is an entry to ComCo Southeast Asia’s “Write to Ignite Blogging Project Season 2: Dear Survivor”. The initiative continues to respond to the need of our times, as every story comes a long way during this period of crisis.  The initiative aims to pull and collate powerful stories from the Philippine blogging communities to inspire the nation to rise and move forward amidst the difficult situation. The “Write to Ignite Blogging Project” Season 2 is made possible by ComCo Southeast Asia, with Eastern Communications and Jobstreet as co-presenters, with AirAsia and Xiaomi as major sponsors, and with Teleperformance as sponsor."

 

MY LIVES BEHIND THE PROSCENIUM BY CELIA DIAZ LAUREL BOOK LAUNCH SET ON MAY 29

 How does one celebrate her 93rd birthday in this time of pandemic?

CELIA DIAZ LAUREL - Mother, wife, philanthropist, writer, painter, thespian, theater production and costume designer is all set to launch her latest coffeetable book  aptly titled

‘MY LIVES BEHIND THE PROSCENIUM’ on May 29 via Facebook Live.

The book is dedicated to the following women and men whose encouragement and confidence 

helped her become an actress namely: Mother IMMACULADA  (Assumption Convent); WILFRIDO MA. GUERRERO (UP Dramatic Club, University of the Philippines); SONIA RIFKIN and DOÑA TRINING LEGARDA (Manila Community Players); JAMES B. REUTER S.J. (Ave Maria Players and The

Cathedral Players); CONSTANCE WELCH (Drama Department, Yale University);

BEHN CERVANTES (who persisted in urging her to write this book about her life in the theatre); 

and husband SALVADOR ‘DOY’ LAUREL, who understood hercalling and allowed her to grow not only as an actress but as a person.

The book chronicles the life that Celia Diaz Laurel led 

with chapter titles:Stage-struck at Five, Wartime Years, Dramatic UP Days, Yale Years,Back to the Stage at Repertory Philippines.

“Celia has written an entertaining story about her theatrical life in a straightforward, simple, style that not only will give the curious reader an insightinto her life and the social milieu of her time but is a historical narrative of the early years of Manila theatre and the personalities who were part of it. She writes about her early personal life as the background for the successful career she carved out for herself—not only as an actress but as a set and costume designer,” wrote Joy Virata in the foreword of the book.

Celia Diaz Laurel shares her insights about her book.“To become a painter one needs a medium such as charcoal, pastels, watercolor, oils or acrylic. Armed with an instrument such as a brush, a palette knife,

or even your fingers to apply the medium on any surface you choose, you are free to paint anywhere you please - indoors or outdoors. But to become an actor one needs a good script, a director, actors to work with, a producer, a stage, lights, and most of all---an audience.

Not too many realize that the positive energy from an audience is an essential ingredient that makes, or un-makes, a show.

To win an audience everything behind the proscenium must transport the audience to another world - the imaginary world - that becomes alive and real on that stage when the lights go on.

The scenery is the audience’s first contact with the imaginary world. A perfect set establishes the mood, the time,and the place of the scene that unfolds.

Unless one has all the above elements, the desire to become an actor will remain an unfulfilled dream and your promising talent may just dissipate before an opportunity comes for you to be recognized. Your passion for the theater may, like dewdrops, drop into the sea of frustration – unfulfilled. I felt I most likely would become that dewdrop since I was painfully shy. Who could have caused opportunities to come my way? Not once did I audition for a role during my forty years behind the proscenium. My more than a hundred roles were blessings from above!

Living more than a hundred lives behind the proscenium made me understand the human heart. From my first role to my last – I offered each performance as a sign of my gratitude to my Heavenly Producer.”

MY LIVES BEHIND THE PROSCENIUM is edited by Suzie Laurel-Delgado and Cocoy Laurel; Dulce Festin-Baybay (Editorial Consultant), Miriam R. Castillo (Project Coordinator), Sarah L. Sanz (Photo Editor),  Nestor Amador Malgapo Jr. (Book Design and Cover).  Printed by GA Printing.

For book reservations and inquiries, kindly please contact Ms.

Jenn Tejada c/o 88697298 Mon. - Fri. 

1pm - 5 pm.