Old Age, No Reason to Quit

By Herbert Vego

IF I were in government service, I would have retired ten years ago at age 65; not as a matter of choice, but of compulsory retirement. But at my present age of 75, retirement is not even on the horizon. Don’t I deserve to enjoy the rest of my life?

I do, because working for a living earns me a profitable and enjoyable lifestyle.

At 75, I still edit and write for a living. It has been my lifeline for 55 straight years, since 1970, but with no intention to retire.

For me, a lifetime of freelance-writing is not a curse but a blessing. As long as I write, thank God, I hope to keep my mind sharp and resistant to senility.

Otherwise, if I were to live my life over, I would probably opt for a more financially rewarding career. But why should I regret having finished a course in Journalism when it has always been my destiny? Every man is what he is because of past circumstances.

In my case, it all began in my sixth grade when my English teacher rated my themes “excellent”.

In my third year at the Antique National School, I took and passed the qualifying examination for staff members of our high school organ, The Madia-as, bagging the position of news editor. From then on, I set my eyes on a writing career, which I thought was, and still is, honorable; not everybody can write.

My father opposed my plan: “Oh, no, writing will not make you rich. I have a better idea. Why don’t you become a veterinarian? There is great demand for animal doctors in the government.”

I insisted on following my aptitude and finished a four-year AB-Journalism course at Manuel L. Quezon University in Quiapo, Manila.

In my first 10 years in journalism, I handled various jobs as press relation officer for movie and music-recording companies, editor of an entertainment tabloid, and entertainment columnist for various newspapers and magazines in Manila.

I came to Iloilo City in 1981 to edit a weekly newspaper, which is now a daily.

The transition from typewriter to computer has not been an easy learning experience for an old wordsmith. But having overcome the difficulty, I look forward to riding farther the technology wave.

Admittedly, however, making a living as a journalist is not one for the ambitious. It’s the rare writer who can splurge off his or her earnings. For those of us who simply love the job, survival is enough.

You must be familiar with the ironic saying that those who can write, do; those who can’t, teach. I think that’s unfair for teachers who can write. Had I earned an MA or PhD degree, I would have taught for a living, too.

Of course, there are others like us with the ability to create new realities out of thin air — unheralded painters, singers, actors and other talents who thrive on the need to express themselves even in thankless jobs.

What about you? Do you make a living doing what you love?  Why is it so important?

Well, it’s because you love it and because self-expression is the stuff that human civilization is made of. Be proud because you produce what others consume.

-oOo-

FIRE PREVENTION IS ALSO MORE POWER’S CONCERN

PRESIDENT Roel Z. Castro of MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power), has announced, “Fire safety is on top of our five-year modernization agenda.”

Indeed, what would it profit a home owner if he saves money on electricity but loses all possessions to a fire accident?

This resonates with everybody in this month of March, the Fire Prevention Month. We just have to browse the company’s Facebook page to realize how serious it is in the task that mainly belongs to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Most fires, according to the BFP, are electrical in nature, as in overloading of power lines through electricity pilferage. Power theft could be “invisible,” as when someone illegally hooks into a power supply, or tampers with a meter to avoid recording electricity usage.

The power line could become overloaded with electric energy, which could harm your electronics and appliances designed to receive a certain steady amount of electricity, thus causing short-circuit leading to instant fire.

No wonder Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has posted this short reminder online: “I call on everyone to be on alert for any possibility of the occurrence of fire.”