Papa the Writer

Pa-pa-pa-pa-poker face...

My dad is an amazing writer. He started a blog called Life Addict at pogiforlife.com early this year, but he's actually been writing for decades. At some point or another he was at least one (or sometimes all) of the following: journalist, freelance writer, correspondent, reporter, copy editor, managing editor, associate editor. He wrote headlines for newspapers, edited other people's work, and also penned timeless op-ed pieces, which he likes to republish on his blog these days.

I think my dad became the writer/journalist that he is because of an avid interest in—or addiction to—reading. Remember my blog post about how he owned small bookstores when I was growing up? That must have been heavenly for him, being surrounded by stacks and stacks of reading material. When he and my mother built our house in the late eighties, one corner of the living room had tall, custom-built shelves. By the time the nineties rolled around, more shelves were added until they occupied the entire periphery of what became the library (the coffee table and chairs now merely props). Books that could no longer fit in the floor-to-ceiling shelves were piled on the floor. Every night, my dad would stand in front of them and peruse his next read.

I remember finding a really old book from the 1800s by the Philippine National Hero, Jose Rizal, in one of the crevices. The pages were yellowed and tattered, the binding ready to fall apart. It looked so authentic and I believe I immediately put it back on the shelf.

My dad uploaded (and updated) an article he wrote about Rizal's Last Farewell. It's a romanticized, literary version of the hours leading up to the hero's execution by the Spanish officials who colonized the country. It's an amazing read and so seamlessly written.

Anyway, what with all the serious, political themes one would think my dad is equally pensive and straitlaced outside the written word. Oh no no no. He is one funny man. To give you a glimpse of his sense of humor when he's not immersed in World War I/II books and vintage stamps, here's his reply to my text message when I told him I read his article and was wowed by it:

"Wow! Tnx! I like the spoofs, too. Developing more. I took Facebook quiz, [it says] I will be pregnant in Dec 2009 :) Take care."