Memento - A Picture Tells A Thousand Words

Behind the Mask

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June 30 - Mid Year 2004
Paranaque, Philippines

"For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much
required." - Luke 12:48

Dateline June 30. Am back from sick bay. I was. for two days, as my wife would playfully tease me, THE FLY. Here's my story:

My resistance was already running low since last week. I was already feeling the usual body mallaise as early as Friday, but with the grace of the Lord, I was able to survive the weekend. Not until we made a wrong decision to eat at Max's Magallanes. (one of the places we'd surely miss when we move to Toronto).

I had shrimp soup, had crabmeat rice and to top it all off, other than the fact that we didn't have chicken is that, I'm allergic to seafoods. I only eat it to allow my body to be immune to it (so I thought).

So when I woke up last Monday, and for the next two days, I was like the globe with island maps all over my face and upper part of the neck. I bloated an added 5 pounds from all "pantals". If you knew me and we met on a clear sunny day, unlike today, surely you won't recognize me.

I took the sickness as a figurative shedding of my past, a literal removal of the masks I wore. I was sick but thanked the Lord for it, for it allowed me to take stock and go through 2 days just allowing myself to heal.

So this morning the bulges of skin, the bloated face and the rashes - were all gone. As if nothing happened.

****

It's June 30 - the middle of the year, Iraq is "free" (advanced by 2 days, but delayed for more than a year), the Philippines has a new President, or rather the old President extending her stay for another 6 years, and its Spidey's day, I'm a new me, and not THE FLY anymore (but with this strong winds, I might be blown away).