Coming Out Divine: My High School Reminiscences

I had to say Good-Bye to St. Agnes – a traumatic experience for someone cuddled close to home and family, having to leave safe and familiar surroundings of six years - Here was a new edifice, more pedestrian maybe, more mature, there were definitely more older folks than we... It was intimidating to say the least, but there was an aura of adventure.

I had to tell myself that this meant we were growing up…  something that will eventually happen (for most of us at least).

Here was my chance to experience some semblance of independence, welcome to a new and exciting beginning…

Happily I was reunited with a number of old friends, that was reassuring, comforting, but I was also confronted with having to make new ones –  which was easy enough, but definitely challenging. I had to shed my inhibitions, and swallow my prejudices. If my old classmates could cope, why couldn't I?

I found out eventually that it was rather easy to assimilate – my classmates were actually more accepting than I first feared, so, my guard came down in earnest.

Our first year was spent in friendly exploration, breaking new ground and a different set of rules. Now with new friends, came those new adventures.

Reading "Hardy Boys" (and Nancy Drew) from the library (Father Bates got a lot of fantastic donations from abroad!), and plenty of other literature to explore!

Listening to "Jesus Christ Superstar" recordings - in the Father’s quarters…

Playing tennis on the courts of the quadrangle – mostly watching, actually

Joining the Glee Club – nice way to meet some friendly seniors… (I always had a desire for the older things…)

I remember irritating Steve with my falsetto!

Christmas Concerts at Rex Theatre… Movies at Rex Theatre!

I vividly remember our boy scout bivouac: the torrential rains, the wet, muddy and smelly cave... that was the end for me!

I Joined the ROTC instantly and we marched on the grounds of the Evangelical Church nearby. I was a happy camper, willingly submitting to macho commands

Swimming at the YMCA Pool in Old Albay

And Finding that wonderful bookstore next door! (across?) The start of a continuing adventure… who knew?

Reading popular novels (Leon Uris, … Bourne Identity, Harold Robbins…)

Singing at the Cathedral on Sundays

Hosting the Evangelicals from NZ and our presentation at KFC - that was very advanced of Albay to have had one! I mean our small production was!

and

Our radio broadcasts!

Hanging out with Charlie and Ric

We were so young and innocent!

Does anyone remember Dulce? (I was told he is also gone now)

My awakening… I became a poet overnight! Now I would rather enjoy reading others' genius

Going to the Movies with Sammy (my indoctrination)

So much for innocence!

A little bit of experience at a time is good…

Getting a ride to school from senior DWHS students (the older brothers of Agnesians - after they have dropped off their sisters in the morning… just before I get on the jeepney bound for school… they would hitch me a ride to school - 

Thank you Guys! I still remember those days very well. I felt quite special.

Walking back from DWHS after class to the Albay Park,
Hanging out on the grounds of the Capitol (Maybe they no longer allow this?) - [I thought of organizing something, maybe JoeyS would not mind, but it was a bit wet during our reunion]

Smoking Phillips (I did switch to Marlboros – or Hope, when there was not enough bread…)

and slugging Pale Pilsens at the little nipa-hut hang-out bar behind the Provincial Capitol.

Rooting for Our Basketball Team! Did we ever win? I was too distracted to care… hahaha

Swimming at Tita Pita’s hotel… then

Dancing at Mayon Imperial - many fond memories at that disco

Of course the famous dance parties in our hall at Guevara - we had to let the older DWHS batches have their parties there too (viz. elder brothers above)

Mama and Papa were very obliging - will all our ruckus 

Our special bread pudding (recipe courtesy of Steve's Mom)

I do remember Leandro had a fantastic Disco set-up!

The music was memorable (now being revisited courtesy of Chito, et al)

Reading Dorian Gray! Discussing the movie! Isn't staying young such an overblown concept? But we keep on trying... maybe now we have accept that it is good to get older and wiser? maybe

Our long-winded Script of Antony and Cleopatra! But the production was rather fun! I had fun! [I was so inspired by my muse... writing the title role for her]

Going Swimming in Bacacay! With Steve and Pepito…

One last swim in the pool at that sculptured resort near Tabaco… Rocamonte in Sabluyon? [Ralph's pictures say it all]

Then Charlie telling me about an unexpected and controversial news…

I know some were unhappy, but I hope I did not disappoint too many...

Our Graduation Day was all a blur! Except for a few undeniable photos.

And on to newer adventures at Diliman.

I think we were very lucky during our time in Legazpi and being 4-B Stags at DWHS.

We transitioned from our youthful revelries and tried to experiment with our lives in a safe and secure world – sheltered from the ghastly political realities, we heard of war and saw the high-flying planes make white streaks on our blue skies followed by thundering roar. We might have been affected by the down wind from Indo-China and had minor eye irritations for weeks, low radiation fall-out from some atoll in the Pacific and indirectly threatened by an unstable world, the occasional Mayon eruption, local floods from the regular onslaught of typhoons, but we were happy to be home in secure Albay - with caring family and close-knit friends, we had lived our quiet lives, growing up comfortably and able to uphold a semblance of promise (we were after all Marcos Babies and in the beginning he gave us that blind optimism – how else could we be but hopeful).

We did get an excellent high school education that prepared us for the unforeseen future and testament to that is what we all have achieved with our lives so far. We still dream, I do and one can definitely reach higher – and maybe impart our wisdom to the next generation and through them see our potential manifest in perpetuity.

We owe our teachers for having inspired us.

Thanks to a plethora of good teachers that Divine Word gave us.

The discipline that our mentors inculcated in us and the diligence of our teachers, coupled with individual challenges and opportunities we have pursued have eventually shaped each and everyone of us.

When reminiscing with a cousin now stationed in Jakarta, we tell her kids that in our heyday in Legazpi we did not have the luxury of gadgets that surround kids today. Ours was making do with a walkman, we listened to 8-track cassettes, we were awed by the newest calculator and relied on land phones with co-subscriber party-lines, but our simple quiet lives were full of fond memories with family and friends, safe adventures, a few misadventures, lots of books to read, pure imagination, we did get the latest music, had our dances, etc. – but look at where we are now! I think we did alright.

We managed to have our own fun and made the best of what our circumstances allowed. We have definitely come a long way!

Our lives will go on, G-d willing, and we will write more chapters to our saga, nurture the next generation, … Become administrators, be managers and run corporations, do research, write, get published, do voice overs, paint canvases, tend to the sick and dying, help our fellowmen, contribute to our community, build towers and ramparts, wire every household, work hard in service of the greater community - and think about the bigger picture beyond our confines!

One thing remains, we will come back to our roots, re-trace our tracks, say our farewells to dear friends no longer here …  but we will come around and say another hello …

As we embrace new challenges and make ourselves part of the greater world, let us stay connected and not forget that we are and will forever be STAGS!