10 years??? 10 FREAKING YEARS???

The year 2000 was, and still is an unforgettable year for many of us.

It was the turn of a new century.

It was the beginning of "the future".

It was the rise of the pop stars: Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake (who I just saw perform with Timbaland and will marry sometime soon, in my dreams), Nick Carter, and the Hanson kids.

It was the popularity of rave parties: loud techno music, glow sticks with strings, weird outfits, and even weirder dance moves.

It was the year I graduated high school.

It was 10 years ago.


Yes, the year 2000 was definitely unforgettable, especially for Britney Spears, JT, Nick Carter, the Hanson kids, and of course, me and my high school batchmates. 

It was the year I felt I was officially entering "adulthood", and I felt thankful that everyone will stop treating me like a kid. I got into college feeling pretty cool about myself, having that "oh yeah, I'm an 'adult' now!" attitude. I specifically chose a college that does not require uniforms because I strongly felt that school uniforms are for kids, not for this grown-up woman. The new found independence felt thrilling, and I couldn't wait to see what the future had in store for me.


Now, I look back to the girl I was, version 2000... and I can't believe it's only been 10 years. I wish I could say that I feel that those 10 years just zipped by, but honestly, I couldn't. Instead of feeling "wow, that was 10 years ago, where did the time go?!", I kind of feel like, "That was ONLY 10 years ago? Why do I feel like I'm 40?"


Here are some historical events from the past 10 years of my life. Like I said, I find it quite hard to believe that all these (and other things I don't want to mention) happened but it did:

1. Graduated high school.
2. Got into college. 
3. Started smoking.
4. Transferred schools.
5. Quit college.
6. Said goodbye to mother who migrated to SF, California.
7. Took charge of family business.
8. Closed down family business.
9. Got my first office job.
10. Quit my first office job.
11. Got my second office job.
12. Became top 2 agent in my second office job.
13. Got sick of my second office job.
14. Wanted to quit my second office job, but couldn't.
15. Got myself fired from my second office job.
16. Was unemployed.
17. Applied in several offices, unsuccessfully.
18. Got my 3rd office job, but 1st job in account management in the advertising industry.
19. Realized that being an account manager isn't really for me.
20. Tried to quit smoking (presently still trying).
21. Tried my hand in copywriting.
22. Quit being an account manager.
23. Transferred to creatives as a copywriter.
24. Wrote this blog post.


Now that I've typed all that, and as I scan this list of my "main events", I wonder... could I have done more? Become more? Saved more? Or, done differently?

Of course, I could have. There are a lot of things that I could have done to add to my list above... and I have also committed a lot of mistakes that directly contributed to who I am now.

My life motto always has been "Never regret anything". I'm not sure if that's the right virtuous attitude, but it has worked for me. Many of the shit we go through are painful and life-altering, and we'd probably have a better life if we had not gone through that shit. The thing is, though... I've always believed in two things: 1) That to live life with regrets is to live a sad, unsatisfying life; and 2) Everything happens for a reason. 

Now I've been thinking of the movie, "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion". Remember that? It was their 10-year high school reunion too. We'll be having our reunion this December, I think. Do I have to invent something comparable to post-its now? I have 8 months to do that. 

I guess this post really has no point, but thank you for reading.

Pain is Beauty, and Beauty's a Pain

Disclaimer: Specifics may have been changed, not affecting the outcome of this story. This is to protect the author from losing her job.

 
Know what I hate? 

(a little side note: I've always "disliked" using the word HATE, but this is an exception)


I absolutely HATE generic, template commercials. I just HATE them with every ounce of passion I could muster. One example? Beauty products! All the same old same old shampoo and skincare ads with the same... MESTIZA LOOKING GIRL WHO IN THE NEAR FUTURE WILL GET A CONTRACT WITH ABS-CBN OR GMA... LONG SHINY HAIR WITH NOT A STRAND OF HAIR OUT OF PLACE... SILKY, CREAMY, FLAWLESS, AND YOUNGER-LOOKING SKIN IN 24 HOURS... CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS... Ayayay! Everyone's just doing and saying the same thing! I know I sound like a self-righteous, angsty, goth teenager with no friends, but this is really how I feel! Must we conform to the same old ad template every single time??? Look, I'm not saying I'm not guilty of creating such template ads... as they say, there's a reason why the "formulas" are so popular. What I'm only saying is, I don't like creating such ads! It's sickening!


But, wait... there's more!

Guess who's pitching for a beauty product account and is now writing a beauty product commercial? (Clue: we have the same hair color and length! She also has a pesky mole right smack on the bridge of her nose, which many tell her is her lucky charm.)


Well, I know this writer very well. She will make it different! She will not conform! Down with the templates! (unless the client wants a template ad, and in that case... it's not the writer's fault, my dear friends.)


Here's a lesson I've learned these past few days: don't blame the writer!

Principles? Shminciples!