Unbounded

A poignant Gaelic lyric to fit the evening, for tonight, a tradition has been caught, a spirit made explicit:

The Best is Yet to Come

An cuimhin leat an grá
Crá croí an ghrá
Níl anois ach ceol na h-oíche
Táim sioraí i ngrá
Leannáin le smál
Leannáin le smál
Lig leis agus beidh leat
Lig leis agus beidh grá

Cuimhne leat an t-am
Nuair a bhí tú sásta
An cuimhne leat an t-am
Nuair a bhí tú ag gáire

Tá an saol iontach
Má chreideann tú ann
Tug aghaidi ar an saol is sonas sioraí inár measc

Céard a tharla do na laethanta sin
Céard a tharla do na h-oícheanta sin
An cuimhin leat an t-am
Nuair a bhí tú faol bhrón

An cuimhin leat an t-am
Go sioraí sileadh na ndeor an ormsa nó orainne a bhí an locht

Ag mothú caiite s'ar fán
Cén fáth an t-achrann is sileadh na ndeor
Tá áilleacht sa saol
Má chuardaíonn tú e
Tá gliondar sa saol
Cuardaimís e

*****

Do you remember the time when little things made you happy?
Do you remember the time when simple things made you smile
Life can be wonderful if you let it be;
Life can be simple if you try.

Whatever happened to those days?
Whatever happened to those nights?
Do you remember the time when little things made you sad?
Do you remember the time when simple things made you cry?

Is it just me or is it just us?
Feeling lost in this world?
Why do we have to hurt each other?
Why do we have to shed tears?
Life can be beautiful if you try
Life can be joyful if we try
Tell me I'm not alone
Tell me We are not alone in this world
fighting against the wind

Do you remember the time when simple things made you happy?
Do you remember the time when little things made you laugh?

You know life can be simple
You know life is simple
Because the best thing in life is yte to come
Because...
the best is yet to come

“Sa aking pagtanda, unawain mo sana ako at pagpasensiyahan. Kapag dala ng kalabuan ng mata ay nakabasag ako ng pinggan o nakatapon ng sabaw sa hapag-kainan, huwag mo sana akong kagagalitan. Maramdamin ang isang matanda. Nagse-self-pity ako tuwing sisigawan mo ako.

Kapag mahina na ang tenga ko at hindi ko maintindihan ang sinasabi mo, huwag mo naman sana akong sabihan ng bingi, pakiulit na lang ang sinabi mo o pakisulat na lang. Pasensya ka na, anak. Matanda na talaga ako.

Kapag mahina na ang tuhod ko, pagtiyagaan mo sana akong tulungang tumayo, katulad ng pag-aalalay ko sa iyo noong nag-aaral ka pa lamang lumakad.

Pagpasensyahan mo sana ako kung ako man ay nagiging makulit at paulit-ulit na parang sirang-plaka. Basta pakinggan mo na lang ako. Huwag mo sana akong pagtatawanan o pagsasawaang pakinggan. Natatandaan mo anak noong bata ka pa? Kapag gusto mo ng lobo, paulit-ulit mo ‘yung sasabihin, maghapon kang mangungulit hanggang hindi mo nakukuha ang gusto mo. Pinagtiyagaan ko ang kakulitan mo.

Pagpasensiyahan mo na rin sana ang aking amoy. Amoy-matanda, amoy-lupa. Huwag mo sana akong piliting maligo. Mahina na ang katawan ko. Madaling magkasakit kapag nalamigan, huwag mo sana akong pandirihan. Natatandaan mo noong bata ka pa? Pinagtiyagaan kitang habulin sa ilalim ng kama kapag ayaw mong maligo.

Pagpasensiyahan mo sana kung madalas, ako’y masungit, dala na marahil ito ng katandaan. Pagtanda mo, maiintindihan mo rin ako.

Kapag may konti kang panahon, magkuwentuhan naman tayo, kahit sandali lang, inip na ako sa bahay, maghapong nag-iisa. Walang kausap. Alam kong busy ka sa trabaho.

Subalit nais kong malaman mo na sabik na sabik na akong makakuwentuhan ka, kahit alam kong hindi ka interesado sa mga kuwento ko. Natatandaan mo anak, noong bata ka pa? Pinagtiyagaan kong pakinggan at intindihin ang pautal-utal mong kuwento tungkol sa iyong teddy bear.

At kapag dumating ang sandali na ako’y magkasakit at maratay sa banig ng karamdaman, huwag mo sana akong pagsawaang alagaan. Pagpasensiyahan mo na sana kung ako man ay maihi o madumi sa higaan, pagtiyagaan mo sana akong alagaan sa mga huling sandali ng aking buhay. Tutal hindi na naman ako magtatagal.

Kapag dumating ang sandali ng aking pagpanaw, hawakan mo sana ang aking kamay at bigyan mo ako ng lakas ng loob na harapin ang kamatayan.

At huwag kang mag-alala, kapag kaharap ko na ang Diyos na lumikha, ibubulong ko sa kanya na pagpalain ka sana … dahil naging mapagmahal ka sa iyong ama’t ina…”

I remember when I was a kid, I would dash home everyday after Kindergarten and would glue myself to the TV, for a good half hour. Why? It’s because RPN 9’s showing a new episode of Garfield and friends. Yup, that cynical cat was a big part of my childhood weekdays (Not as big as Snoopy though). Good times.

Tonight I got a fascinating link from Sansan that re-contextualizes the comic strip by Jim Davis. It’s the same Garfield comic strip only that Garfield’s muted out. As a result, we get to see an absurdist humor that focuses on Jon talking to himself.

Let’s take this premise and back it up a bit; it intrigued me to deconstruct the comic strip and to show to you a new level of pathos that’s beyond anti-humor.

When you inject realism to the strip (through a certain extent), such as removing Garfield’s thought bubbles, the lighthearted gag of a cynical rotund cat that makes fun of his bumbling owner drastically changes to an appalling picture of a lonely, pathetic, and delusional man who talks to his ordinary lazy pet cat.

A man talking to himself is sad, but a man talking to a cat, whom he acquired solely for the purpose of companionship who could never care is sadder.

Never have I realized that Jon’s life is so sad and empty. This validates my suspicion that Jon has depressive and bipolar disorders, and is suffering from Schizophrenia.

*****