The Sunbaked King

When I was in high school, I juggled mathematics and writing effortlessly. I solved some algebra questions in the evenings and in between classes, while on weekends, I sat in front of my Windows 95-powered PC and created– feverishly, fervently– my next literary masterpiece. Those days, writing never felt like a chore. Sure, I discarded more stories than I could care to count, but my resolve never wavered. When one short story felt a bit too much for me to take, I took a break (or solved that trigonometric exercise that I’ve been itching to get my hands on). Then I moved on.

It seemed like I had to choose between two great loves when I stepped into college. The choice was an easy one eventually– my contract with my high school dictated that I choose BS Mathematics over BS English Literature. Good thing Ateneo loves its English as much as it loves its Mathematics; I never found myself wanting. While taking up a mathematics course forced me to accept the bitter fact that I’m not all that when it came to the realm of numbers, it also provided me with the realization that I could actually commit to this writing gig, after all. There was a wonderfully positive chance of me not sucking.

And for the most part, I didn’t. Thanks to some very talented professors and the multitude of avenues in which I could write, I was able to hone my “craft.” The experience was mind-draining, but invigorating; challenging, but exhilarating; humbling, but ultimately fulfilling. Since that time, I have made people laugh. Since that time, I have made people cry. The power of words can truly be great when written down (or in this case, typed) with a focused mind and a sincere heart.

My high school and college years have already passed me by. I no longer solve algebra questions in the evenings and in between classes– I no longer have classes to speak of, and the only solving I do happens in Excel spreadsheets. I no longer sit in front of my Windows 95-powered PC to type my next literary masterpiece– I now own a Vista-powered laptop, and my short story and soap opera-writing days are already behind me. I no longer have professors to teach me the way. I no longer have the multitude of avenues I once had at my disposal. Slowly, my two great loves took a back seat to the necessities of corporate living. Surely, the need to solve and the need to write got replaced with the need to pay the rent and the need to watch my weight.

But beneath the noise and clamor of deadlines and duties, there’s a hunger that wants to be fed.

Blogging has provided sustenance during all these years when I no longer think of myself as a student. When all the lessons of the academe have apparently slipped away, all that’s left with me is my passion for writing and this nifty little site called WordPress. When I think long and hard about it, it seems like these are enough. When stripped down to its barest essentials, these are the only things I need for this blog to take flight.

Welcome to The Sunbaked King 3.0, people. May you find sunshine in every bite.