Things I Should Have Done But Didn’t

I know, I know, some of you would probably say or think there is still time. It seems as if time is running out on me, of course not and that is not why I am writing this blog. At some point in our lives, we think of things that we would like to do, things we would  like to try at least once, things that somehow in the course of the years remain just that –  pipe dreams, still.

When  the kids were young and I was still working, I kept on thinking, when they grow up, I would plan to do all these but family life will always be a priority and still is until now. These come in no particular order or how important they are in my life. I just thought I could still make up for lost time and do a thing or two.

– enrol in a culinary school. And I don’t mean just the six sessions I did at Sylvia Reynoso Gala Culinary Studio with Sylvia herself and her two kids Ernest and Morella.  Learning the basics of cooking for more than your family and close friends, learning how to prepare Chinese food with fresh ingredients, learning how to bake bars, cookies and simple bread, I think there is more to culinary arts than this. I learned a lot though, but still it was not enough. You need  sizable financial resources now to enrol in a named culinary school and I don’t have that.

–  rappelling. Rappelling, are you kidding? How can that be? My daughter did it when she was in high school  in one of their school activities. My knees tremble looking down from a higher place. That goes the same with zip line.  Nissa has lovely pictures when she and her friends did zip lining in Tagaytay. I remember one time when we went to Enchanted Kingdom and they did all the rides except me. I was content watching and taking pictures.

– biking. Oh please, don’t laugh. At my age, I never  learned how to bike. The only brave thing I did was to drive a tri bike, the one which has a back ride. I had good balance that way, perfect opportunity to drive my children around the village when they were kids. Every kid in town learned  how to bike, except this kid.

–swimming. I’d like to think I have an affinity with the sea with all its angst and gentle waves lapping at my feet but I was so afraid to let my body sink into the water without touching the floor.  Staying on the shore, looking at the blue ocean waters, watching the sunrise and the golden sunset and finding shells were more my thing. Back in the province, we have this clean river where we used to  go  to during the summer months or where we catch fish at the start of the rainy season.  Those were the times when I truly enjoyed it, fishing with mom and dad during school break.

– horseback riding.  Here in our country, that’s for the upper class, if you know what I mean. My grandson Nate is luckier than I am because he has already experienced a pony ride in Tagaytay.

– writing a book. There is still a possibility here but I only dream of writing one, some sort of memoirs perhaps. Ambitious, right?  I’d like to share to the whole world, particularly to those undergoing health issues right now  that there is life after cancer, that you could still  dream  after chemotherapy, that the latter is not always the best recourse for treatment.

I don’t know if I could do one of these but I am sure I could still learn to cook paella (with all the ingredients and trimmings) or probably chicken galantina for Christmas Eve and bake my birthday cake next time.

 

Advertisements