I’m afraid I’ll have to make some readers drool — well, possibly — and maybe even dislike me for this shout-out. And ask, why am I even assigning space for a laud of these “special books” when very likely, no copy can be acquired of either title? That is, with the exception of their literary participants and intended recipients
Well, that’s why they’re special, in a way. These books were specially printed, in very limited editions, with their audience mainly consisting of the individuals celebrating or being celebrated by their publication.
The first is a coffee-table book, titled Ordinary Heroes and Discovered Icons of the UP High Class ‘57, published by UP High Class of 1957 Association, Inc., with Hortensia I. Garcia as editor-in-chief, and Rolando Santos credited for the cover and book design. Listed as members of the editorial board are Noe l. Caagusan, Rolando PeÒa, Gonzalo D. Buñag, Cecilia Velasco-Tomas, Albert J. Lesaca and Bani TC Lansang.
Three of these “Diliman oldtimers” I must claim longtime friendship with. Rolly, Gon and Bani went on to the State U., three years ahead of me, but the gap didn’t prevent our academic and personal lives from intersecting, given our shared frivolities with the written word and certain attempts at philosophical stances, whether ideological or simply the state of being beholden to camaraderie.
I believe I met Bani Lansang again, after all those intervening decades, several years ago at the wake for dear Frankie Osorio, another veteran Dilimanian. And Rolly I’ve seen occasionally at coffeeshops, bars and restos, including Trellis in QC, until we actually wound up sharing some important files in the cause of environmentalism when Sonny Alvarez, our senior at Peyups, became DENR Secretary.
Gon Buñag became a common friend (word maven Pete Lacaba says “mutual” can also stand for “common” in this sense, the way Facebook cites certain “friends”) in at least a couple of circles I got associated with in the mid-’70s — creative personnel of ad agencies, such as Manuel “E.G.” Hizon and the lofty couple Emily Altomonte-Abrera and Caloy Abrera, as well as the Ermita magazine group when Gon became our business consultant.
It was mi amiga para siempre Emily who alerted me on Gon’s current status, and how his participation in this book has served to complement his cheery, chin-up conduct despite having to wage a brave battle against an ailment. Gon’s entry, a brief essay on what he’s become since that golden time oh so golden years ago, is representative of the rest of the personal essays from his fellow alumnae. Except that his may be a bit more poignant as a mini-memoir of spiritual reawakening.
In brief, he narrates his participation a decade ago in an Eckankar dream seminar/workshop where they were all asked who they were, and promptly told: “You ARE soul, I AM soul, we ALL are souls.” And that something clicked inside him. He flashes back to an encounter two decades earlier with a vegetable stall owner at Quinta Market in Quiapo, Aling Toyang, who confided that she hardly asked anything from God, but rather regularly gave thanks for all her blessings.
Gon has embarked on his own spiritual journey since, so that today, he is at peace with everything that comes his way. Let me share his own words from his essay titled “Traipsing Along the Edge of Eternity”:
“The first and almost immediate benefit of my self-realization as Soul was freedom from the fear of physical death. Before that, I harbored the all too common fear of dying, not because I was afraid of hellfire and damnation. I had resolved that a long time ago when I embraced a loving and forgiving God, and rejected a fearsome and punitive god. Today, I cannot help a bemused smile whenever I hear anyone righteously characterize themselves as ‘God-fearing.’
“Soon I learned that spiritual awakening isn’t enough. There is much more to be learned. Only the bold and courageous will see the face of God. It entails a lot of discipline. Being a chela or student of Eckancar and eventually qualifying to be arahata or teacher has transformed my life. I know I am still a long way from achieving mastery of ego or our human self, but for now I go traipsing through life along the edge of Eternity.”
In his concise postscript, Gon says he “looks forward to dancing at his grandchildren’s weddings.” It’s the kind of man he is, and we wish him tons of sunshine vibes to help him fulfill that expectation.
In any case, all the other entries in this book also fulfill expectations of a sort — the kind one would expect of graduates of one of the toughest high schools in the country, and which certainly stamped its alumni with strong bonds of a special friendship that resurfaced after 50 years of wide dispersal.
Thus, in the book we also find countless photos ranging from vintage ones in black-and-white of old haunts in Diliman to retro individual mugshots that apply deja vu on each one who can still look back at a milestone year of closure and commencement, and finally to group shots of the snippet occasions of a grand reunion — whether at Sonya’s Garden for days of silver-haired fellowship or anywhere else the spirit of conviviality and craziness, after all these years, may take a band of brothers and sisters who are all so poignantly merry once gain.
The second book we just have to tout is titled A Harbour in the Tempest, another special publication that is not for commercial sale or distribution. Which is a pity, since it’s a milestone book in more ways than one.
Not only is it a special gift from a loving husband, in this case Mikey Samson, to his wife Lou on the occasion of her 40th; its 296 pages (excellently printed in Singapore) anthologizes prose and poetry pieces in English and Filipino which Mikey put together with the help of his buddy Sarge Lacuesta.
And it’s quite a cast of Filipino poets and writers assembled. In order of appearance, they are: Jose Garcia Villa, Rene Arcache Melvin, Rofel Brion, Luisa A. Igloria, Gregorio C. Brillantes, Jaime An Lim, Gémino H. Abad, Simeon Dumdum, Jr., Dean Francis Alfar, John Labella, Kerima Polotan, Timi Siytangco, Francisco Arcellana, NVM Gonzalez, Merlie Alunan, Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta, Gilda Cordero Fernando, Noelle Q. de Jesus, Carlos Angeles, Eric Gamalinda, Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr., Lakambini Sitoy, Joel Toledo, Menchu Aquino Sarmiento, Charlson Ong, Antonio R. Samson, Alfred A. Yuson, Ramon C. Sunico, Angelo R. Lacuesta, Ricardo M. de Ungria, Lawrence Lacambra Ypil, Michelangelo Samson, Mikael de Lara Co, F. Sionil Jose, Manuel Arguilla, Lourdes Abela, Myrna Peña-Reyes, Rosario Cruz Lucero, Edith L. Tiempo, and Nick Joaquin.
Why, that’s a pretty wild bunch right there. Now which other lady has had the privilege of receiving such a gift from a loving husband? Nice going, Mikey. Now if only copyright considerations can be waived for xerographic purposes, just so more readers can savor this bounty.