from Archie

memories of my life in the Philippines

SDA, that’s a very good story. I agree with larigolotte2412's  idea "only God knows" if you fail on something, don’t be discouraged because there’s always a reason. Just follow your instinct. Remember good instinct is a gift from God; just put some effort into it because God said, "everything comes upon your effort before me." Learn also from our legendary "Juan Tamad," Just do not be lazy like him, thats all!

Mr. SDA is a very good teacher from PSU then. He was teaching Arts, I always hang around in his class room just to get some tips from his works. I always checked him first if he is not busy to his class before I get in. He knows that I appreciated his arts because I always go to his classroom watching him from his back doing his works. I imitated some of his style in watercolor drawing. Maybe he would say thanks for me because I cut his "million" customers into half for making them cards during Christmas and Valentines Day. he!he!he!

As a matter of fact I also posses the same talent that he had about Arts but I went to a different direction being RF Engineer. I really love fine Arts, that’s my ambition since I was in High School. I was dying for it.

But we were in poverty then. My tatay was only a barber. There was not enough money to support me going to college. My parents were pushing me to enroll in Binmaley College of Fishery.. In my thought I said that that was not my style.

Instead, I stowed away finding anything to make money with my teenage friends in Cabingcolan. We jumped into Ex-mayor Engineer Francisco Sapigao truck heading Aparri and Tuguegarao Cagayan for construction work. I spent almost a year in that place chipping boulders by hand to build irrigation from the foothills. I got blisters all over my hands because it was very hard work. One more thing, the New Peoples Army were around us but they become our friends. They like me very much because of my talent in basketball I guess they always picked me up just to go play basketball. I work only 3 or 4 days a week but I make more money though because they gave me from their bet rather than working from construction. We were always winning the game.

I went back home when our visa going to U.S. was in the process. I strike my fist in the air in-sync with my "YES!" loudly. I was feeling stagnant while waiting for our visa.

Waiting and waiting then six months later nothing happened. My mom told me to go to PSU while waitingfor our Visa. That was 1979 two years after my High School. I said, Well it’s good rather than being "Stambay" why not! I enrolled and took the same course from High School "Electronics and Communication Technology" a two years Associate degree.

1981 finally it’s our turn to get the US visa. We did not expect to wait that long. My hope to go to US was very were dashed. I blamed it to everybody to God, stuff like that, you know! I was so mad blaming my age being 21 years old that supposed to be my happiest moment in my life but instead it turned me to be a jinx. Because I’d been denied to get the US visa and the reason is I could not be a dependant through my tatay anymore. I was over age to that preference category through the main carrier, which is my tatay. I am very disappointed when my family left me to US.

Six months later I met my future wife through my friend Jimmy Estrada then I forgot all things and very happy ever after everything happened to me. I was in love with her. She encouraged me to transfer in Manila and go to the University, what can I say I just follow her whatever she said it’s in my own good anyway. We were living in together while we were in college with financially support from our parents. In counting we had been together for 26 years already and we still madly in love together. Thus, God works is really work if my US visa has not been denied I couldn’t have my college degree and the most precious in my life and my inspiration who is no other than my wife. I believe she loved me too.

While I was in college, I was affiliated to the bible study group in our School. We did bible study, praying whenever where is an empty classroom. I was really very thankful to my classmate who introduced me to this group because I learned a lot everything in my life also I found my self that I am not jinxed, Actually I am blessed and God is with me all time. From that time on I just follow my good instinct..

Eventually, I also found my way to the USA.

In closing I like to share some ideas from the successful man , Thomas A. Edison

1. Just because something doesn't work as planned means it's useless.
2. There are no rules in trying to accomplish something, just hard work..
3. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
4. Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.
5. I have not failed... I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work

Archie Macanas