At the End of the Day

At the end of the day is the most used phrase in this year's National Debate Tournament, and perhaps in all debate tournaments in the past. Ladies and gentlemen would probably rank second.

I believe that I have heard more than a thousand At-the-end-of-the-days and Ladies-and-gentlemens in the past week. I don't think I can take some more. Please, no more.

Quite literally, the day (October 26) has just ended. It's past 12 midnight; and here I am, with JM, Hareil and Ryan in an internet cafe in Matina.

We're supposed to be "food-tripping", if there is such a word; while waiting for two o'clock to strike. Wilter, Rem and company are in a *** bar; and hopefully, they are enjoying (hehe).

After a week of debating (in their case) and vacation (for me), we're all finally going home. I miss home!!! Both GenSan and Marbel.

Going back to "food tripping", we ate at Mc Donald's and would probably eat again later at Jollibee. We have more than an hour to kill.

This had been a liberating experience. I realized that I have been confined in my small, secure world for a long time; where I had been the center (or among those who were in the center) of attention, glory and honors.

I got my taste of reality - learning that I'm just really a small fish in the ocean. There are lots of big ones.

I did not get intimidated. But there are a lot of positive realizations. And somehow, the fire that I thought has died is now burning once again. I know that I can still learn a lot and grow some more and more and more. At the end of the day, those are the most important.