That was nine years back... a series of exeunts.

Somehow, it's been nine years now since I graduated from college. But, every year I always had been a witness to the many events which make people all along laugh, cry, and forge lasting welcoming back. Yes, different faces in different places, from simple to the most intricate and ambitious graduations, I saw them all. There were simple family-caught videos and photographs and a nationwide broadcast, a festive party, and unforgettable graduation balls. There were shots of goodbyes and say-cheezing to backdrop the living rooms after some years. There were sudden reconciliations and unexpected confessions.

I was about to have another height of graduating after a master's degree in the national university, but it waned for I decided to leave the country.

As I write this, I remember more than a hundred faces but countable places. It's worth the time I had been tied to some academic institutions with uncountable experiences and hopeful ambitions like professionally growing up but be dwarfed due to limited financial resources and impracticable workshifts. As they say, with different folks, you'll get different strokes. Yes, persons are shaped differently and they can be those whom you can believe, whom you can confide with, and whom you can treasure memories with them for a lifetime.

Two weeks ago, I was writing another lyrics of a graduation song for the school I had been with for sometimes. Along with, I was trying to hum different sounds to add up to the making of its melody. Though I'm not a pro to this thing, but I'm blessed to have such talent that is worth locally, and this has always been my tribute to the people I left behind with that aching sentiment of the not-to's, my students and my colleagues. Whenever I write songs of goodbyes, I'm always agog to what will be the byproduct of such song. I am not mesmerized by the gentleness of my talent, but by every word I sew to create a masterpiece that makes people remember and sing it while they are still alive and free from Alzhimer's. Every goodbye song is always renting in me a nostalgic feeling that drops my weight down and be teary-eyed.

Nine years in a row, I had been writing and editing Valedictory address. It's a good thing in the past knowing how your students learn the basic of growing up academically. More than what you think they are, after years of teaching them, they are now great orators, on their own advantage, to their speeches with selfless desire to impart the nerve-racking whining of their hearts. You'll hear each of them while on stage differently; one always cracks jokes while speaking, the other does it with high spirit, while others are deeply drowned by their tears, and none ever has done it monotonically.

A relief I see now as I turn another chapter of my life with people who successfully march on stage with pride. Though I miss this year's grand ceremony, but the memories I had for nine years are grand enough to celebrate giving me a comporting replica of great stories from ordinary people who choose to learn and unlearn the value of everyday naiveness.

To all the graduates, CONGRATULATIONS! #

To my dear friends, Che-Che Enjambre, Thata Gaquing, Beckay Edpalina, and Jeff Lindio, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Just like the passing of your days, it's a march to weighing in things for good and be a learned individual. Take care!