ALLOW me to digress a little for this piece. After all, it is only once a year that one turns older though in my case, I just turned 50 again for the 14th straight year.
The celebration started off with my “first” birthday on March 20 which my late mother swears is my correct birth date until I got my birth certificate and found out it was March 21.
March 20 saw my son JM and girlfriend Joy treating the family at Seaside along Macapagal Avenue. It was a cheat day for me as I feasted on shrimps together with the missus, Jemi, fiancee Franz, and of course my apo Livi.
I have a lot to be thankful for: a good family, a lot of friends, good health that still enables me to bring people to my beloved Mt. Banahaw, my only apo, the fact all my kids have finished college and are all professionals, my own house that I paid for over 25 years, and my being a sportswriter for more than 40 years.
Definitely, more than enough reasons to celebrate.
On my official birth date, I treated my wife and Livi at Tong Yang in SM Bicutan.
But the actual celebration with some family members, friends, high school batchmates from Paco Catholic School, officemates from previous employers Martel Group, Victoria Court, Hotel La Corona, Spuds, Advani Apparel of former PBA player Mike Advani, Support One of ex-run organizer Dilip Budhrani and the city government of Mandaluyong and of course from the world of sports. We all gathered at a small birthday party in Parañaque for some good food and fun games.
Some guests begged off but some forgot. They had the right, they were seniors, but the turnout was just right.
Among those who made it were PBA player agent Danny Espiritu, former Ateneo and national team player Danny Francisco, Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco, Albert Almendralejo whom I worked with on beach football, the Little Azkals, and the Carlos Loyzaga book when we were both consultants at the Philippine Sports Commission, Vito Orcullo who used to play for the amateur Crispa team in the late 1970’s, Anthony Suntay and kids and Bandera sports editor Fred Nasiad together with his whole family.
Frankie Lim had to recruit players, Ed Cordero had to accompany his wife to the hospital, Fritz Gaston was playing golf in Bacolod, Estong Ballesteros had a sudden practice at UE, former Foton team manager Alvin Lu arrived late from Coron but treated me for lunch the following day.
Women’s basketball coach Ai Lebornio and Melvin Iglesias from the UE athletic office still have to tell me why they failed to come.
I wanted to invite more but my pocket was complaining already but with the people who were there, I had no reason to complain.
I also took the opportunity to share some things, including the four people I acknowledged as having played a major role in helping me be what I have become and what I have accomplished in life, and I was happy one of them, psychic and my mentor Frank Regis personally made it there.
Frank was the one who opened my mind to what I could do beyond the limitations I put up.
The other three I mentioned were Alex Rosario from Manila COD, father of Olympic swimmer Ral Rosario. He was the first to recognize the potential in me. Then Ramon Kabigting, my Marsteel boss and father of former PBA player Bambi. He was the one who trained me in HR where I stayed for 10 years.
And lastly, Archie King, Victoria Court owner and my boss of 10 years too. He gave me the chance to expand my reach and rounded me out in overall management.
Then people like Mike and Dilip extended my management career by being a consultant with their respective businesses.
As early as now, I am looking forward to 2021 when I turn 51 after being 50 for 15 straight years until next year.
Happy Birthday to me.
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