(10th of ‘Life’ Series)
I’m a person of simple pleasures. I love to travel, I love adventure, I want quality family time; add in some good food, with good company, and plenty of relaxation time, and I’m a happy camper!
My military service gave me so many opportunities to see the world. From the bustling streets of Asia to the awesome landscapes of Africa, to the old-world vibe of Europe, and the new world in America, I’ve seen enough to last a lifetime. Thanks to my military service. The vast experiences lavished by travel has blessed me no end. It has gifted me with the knowledge of the different cultures, and has afforded me opportunities to witness awesome sights. And it has guided me with a broader, more patient outlook on humanity and the environment.
My addiction to Sports, on the other hand, started early. While other kids were fighting over the Sunday comics, I was diving headfirst into the sports page, treating box scores like valuable exam notes. In my younger days, I was a total sports glutton – basketball, football, track, tennis, pingpong, you name it. I also dabbled in combat sports in the Academy! Yes, I used to be an all-around athlete during my younger days; although these days, the only ‘athlete’ left in me is my athlete’s foot!
To give you an idea of my ‘sports disease,’ I once spent a whole lot on a specific pair of sneakers just because I thought they’d make me look good. I thought that if I looked good in them, I’d perform better as well. Spoiler alert: they didn’t, but I did look great failing! Then there was the time I organized sock-basketball in our dorm. We used old socks and formed that into a ball; twisted a wire hanger into a ring, and clipped the ‘ring’ on the top of our locker, and voila! We have an indoor basketball court!! I eventually tried golf as a ‘mature’ hobby, but realized I didn’t have the five business days required to finish a single round. But the bottomline remains: I truly loved sports in general from a very early age.
And that’s how I got involved in sportswriting as well. As a hobby. In high school, I was the Sports Editor for our paper. In PMA, I chose the position of Sports Editor for our quarterly magazine. Later, as I moved up the ranks in the Army, I moonlighted as a sports columnist for 2 national sports magazines: The Scoreboard and the Sports Weekly Magazine under the Manila Bulletin, plus a provincial paper in Davao. Even now, I still write for another provincial paper – The Bohol Chronicle; while maintaining this blog.
Looking back, I’ve realized that whether I’m chasing a sports story across the globe, or playing “sock-ball” in a crowded dorm, the thrill remains the same. Life doesn’t need to be complicated to be fulfilling; it just needs a dash of adventure, a bit of competition, and a creative mind to capture it all. My playing days may be over. Sadly, I have traded past glory and shimmering trophies for my smelly athlete’s foot! But the passion for the game – and the stories behind it – will remain as strong as ever.
I’m sure you too have simple joys that kept you going during your younger years. Head over to cbholganza.com, read my latest columns, and and see if your joys resonate with mine. To feel young again, let’s keep the games within us alive!
Pics courtesy of the Holgy albums. For a closer look, just click on the pics.
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