The Things We Think and Do Not Say

The Things We Think and Do Not Say

Remember the times when as kids we used to make New Year’s resolutions and keep to it until a couple of days later until we gave in to our excesses? As we got older, it became common to look back and reflect (even review) what had transpired and try to learn from it.

As an ardent student of history, my views have been shaped in part by Spanish philosopher George Santayana. But sometimes it’s yearning for a more innocent time until we had to surrender our childhood.

Once in a while a work of pop culture comes along and defines a generation and becomes like a public biography or soundtrack of our life.

Maybe that’s why I enjoy the works of Cameron Crowe, Nick Hornby, and Marc Spitz because I can relate to what they write more than Joy Division’s brooding melancholia ever will. Not only did they write from the heart, but they found a way to coalesce sports and music into life or something like that.

There’s one film I never get tired of and watch it ever once in a while. It’s Crowe’s seminal film Jerry Maguire. It’s as quotable as Charles Barkley and I’ll say that Cameron Crowe my personal Coehlo.

Copy Store Jesus (played by Jerry Cantrell guitarist for Alice In Chains who appears as the copy center clerk): That’s how you become great man. Hang your balls out there.
When I was still in advertising, my team was prepping for this campaign for this telecom client. My concept wasn’t approved by our division head for reasons only known to herself. But everyone else on the team and accounts knew that was it. The group head chose the other concept by the other writer. I told my Creative Director that what we presented was it and he agreed. We had this bold plan that would have cost us our jobs. We were to present it to client regardless whether it was shot down internally. So we did.

To say that the client approved it is an understatement. He went fucking nuts and thought it was not only the best presentation our agency ever did but it was the best campaign for them yet. Our group head who was late to the presentation (God knows why) was shocked to see client ecstatic and she went along and said that she thought it was cool.

Client ran the basic concept of the campaign for three years even after I had left a year later.

My first few years in the agency biz, my team only lost one bid (out of nine).

Jerry Maguire: I was 35. I’d started my life.
Working abroad is probably the best thing I ever did. Having spent my first five years after school in advertising, I grew increasingly frustrated with dumb bosses and equally moronic clients who thought they were the target market. After a while I began to do triple duty in creatives, PR, and account management prompting a shift to marketing.

And working abroad gave me a worldy view on a lot of things. At the same time, it was tough living alone and trying to make a go of life in post 9-11 New York. It was like starting over at a later age.

When I went home (and I was only one leave from work), my life changed in so many ways I never imagined. For all the gains, I wish I stayed in New York and never went home. Of course, I’m thankful for the blessings that have come my way but going through a terrible break-up and a stupid job with an evil boss really leaves a sore taste in my mouth.

I’m just waiting to see what happens in the US and if it does get better by mid year then I’m gone.

Dorothy Boyd: First class is what’s wrong, honey. It used to be a better meal. Now it’s a better life.
Yes, our government and society is hopelessly corrupt. Have you ever wondered how these bastards are rich all of a sudden and own all these properties? It seems that public office entitles people to steal and set themselves up as god. We should have never gotten independence. We’ve fucked up everything and everyone wishes they had a green card.

Dicky Fox: Roll with the punches. Tomorrow is another day.
Well, Ateneo teams are not cut out to win year after year much more mount a single winning season. Hope springs eternal because there’s always next season.

Dicky Fox: I love getting up in the morning. I clap my hands and say, this is going to be a great day.”
I once had a sign in my office room that I inherited from an officemate. It said, “Today, I will do the best work of my life.” And that became a personal and daily mantra. At the end of the day, I’d ask myself if I earned my pay. It was rare when I felt that I didn’t.

Dicky Fox: If this is empty (the heart) then this (the mind) doesn’t matter.
After spending several months working on MAKING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE, the Ateneo audio visual presentation for foreign students and universities, one school official said that she liked it so much because it had a lot of heart.

That’s something I try to imbue to most of what I write. A friend of mine from the Sports Nation class said that while it had a lot of heart and made him rethink a lot of things, he couldn’t help but notice that there was a tinge of sadness and pain. Well, yes. If you know me at all you’d say I wear my heart on my sleeve.

Jerry Maguire: It was just a mission statement.
The one thing I brought home with me after a long time abroad is that to never take anything for granted and to try and change the world beginning in my own corner. Having been in media for some time now, I’m surprised at how some of my peers are a disgrace to the profession because of the envelope journalism that exists in this goddam country. When I first got my column in the Business Mirror, someone in media said that now I could get rich. I looked at him with this crazy stare. I’m not like you leeches.

Dicky Fox: In life I’ve failed as much as I’ve succeeded.
Well, true. I’m in the midst of comeback #3.