grip of grace

When I was in fourth grade, I knew what I wanted to be. A journalist. During summer vacation, I remember tearing away pages in my notebook that have been written on and keeping the blank ones. Then I would write stories on the blank pages. I don’t remember what stories I have written, but I do remember showing them to my dad. That was when he said, “ Anak , I think you’re going to be a journalist when you grow up.” In high school, my Tita Mary gave me a sketch pad. It was just a bunch of bond paper with green covers done in perfect binding. But I treasured that sketch pad. I would bring it to school every day, and while waiting for the teacher to arrive, I would draw my favorite cartoon characters on it. Sometimes, when the school bus was late, that sketch pad kept me busy. I must say I did some pretty neat pictures on that sketch pad, so I said to myself, “Maybe I could become an artist!” But that didn’t happen after high school. I went to the State University for a degre

Guess what! I’m listening to Sesame Street classics as I write this blog. And I’m on a roll! Since Saturday, I had been reliving the good old Sesame Street days. I discovered YouTube.com and I searched for all my favorite SS video clips… and it definitely brought back happy memories of my childhood. See, I grew up on Sesame Street . I remember watching the stuff since I was 4 or 5 years old. I learned my alphabet and numbers and shapes and about sharing and cooperation from Sesame Street (remember the Gonk and the Giffle?). I witnessed Maria and David dating, Luis and Linda falling in love, Gordon and Susan being happily married, Kermit singing about not easy being green, Maria marrying Luis (whatever happened to David?!?), Mr. Snuffle-upagus appearing and disappearing, Super Grover not being able to fly because someone was stepping on his cape, Ernie and Bert arguing about anything, the amazing Mumford (a la peanut butter sandwiches!)… Man, I could go on and on! But through the yea