I went on a social media detox for about a week just to keep  my mental health at bay. I've been experiencing a lot of emotional meltdowns lately, and I don't even know where they're coming from. I guess it's difficult being the deep thinker I am; I love delving into the abyss, even though it's a cold and lonely place. No, I'm not depressed, alright? I just like to be alone sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love talking to people, just not on a regular basis because I easily get distracted when I'm in the middle of accomplishing something I'm mentally invested in.

Not knowing what's going on in the world helps a lot sometimes because I easily get caught up. Once I latch onto a topic worth pondering, I'm easily pulled into oblivion, if that makes sense. I miss the days when all people had was a TV to keep them entertained, no social media, and the constant power outages when I was a kid, which made people closer and encouraged them to talk about anything and everything under the sun. I miss life's simplicity. I think I'm really getting old.

I think I'm just triggered. My dad has been getting sick a lot lately, the only parent I have left since my mom passed away a decade ago. He's getting frail, yet unfazed by his age, and is too stubborn to listen to advice not to get himself too worked up because he's been retired for ages, which I don't understand and will never understand. I guess I got my workaholic tendencies from my dad; he just wouldn't budge and gets fidgety doing nothing. I wish I hadn't inherited his genes because I'm always on autopilot.

Recently, my niece down south developed a liking for caring for cats. One day, a mother cat and her four kittens suddenly appeared out of nowhere and took shelter in my sister's house, as if they had no choice. My sister had to feed them because, of course, how can anyone ignore these poor homeless animals when they've done nothing but exist? Sadly, one of the kittens died, probably due to a chronic illness or a virus it caught from other strays. It was devastating to know, but at least the little one got to experience having a home for once in her very short lifetime. This made me ponder again, why most strays are treated like outcasts in a society where people would rather pay hefty sums for expensive purebred animals, while countless others need shelter. Like, what the heck?

Ok, 'nuf said... at least I have this as my venue where nobody reads and nobody cares.

Chasing Shadows

I vowed not to take down this blog because I lack time to write, just as I no longer have time to read. So, here I am, ensuring its continuity. I'm thrilled to be back on the morning shift; oh, how I missed the warmth of the sun and the light of day. The graveyard shift, I suppose, no longer suits me because it turns me into a manic-depressive person, which is not who I am meant to be. Though naturally cheerful, the gloominess of the night took its toll on me.

Anyway, the recent total solar eclipse captivated the world, as it occurs only once in a lifetime, with the next not happening until 2044. Having witnessed many eclipses, I'm not as awestruck like I have not been eversince. I recall my grade school days when the entire class was asked to watch the eclipse. We went out, each clutching a piece of film negative in our hands, mostly excited (except for me because it was scorching hot outside) to see the eclipse. It didn't thrill me back then; I was just a kid, and it didn't mean much to me. I found a trip to the Planetarium in Manila much more fun, lol. Now that I'm older, an eclipse holds a different significance for me. It reminds me of how humbling it is to be a part of this vast universe, where our existence may seem insignificant.

Speaking of the universe, I read long ago that humans were considering Mars, a planet with both air and water, as another potential home in case Earth becomes uninhabitable. This notion makes me ponder. Instead of caring for our planet, some would rather seek refuge on another, which seems utterly impractical. Even if it were possible, how could ordinary people afford such a move when Earth is densely populated, with most struggling to make ends meet? Anyway, the recent eclipse was spectacular, indeed stellar. I watched the videos on social media, and everyone cheered the moment the moon passed between the Earth and the sun, and then, there's darkness.