Birthday wishes and more

I was once asked about the origin of the song “Happy Birthday to You” and who was the “you” being referred to by the composer.

I responded with a shrug, and said it was intended for everybody.

The friend shook his head and said I was wrong. He said it was for Jan-jan. With a puzzled look on my face the friend explained by making beats with his hands while singing, “janjaranjanjan…. Happy Birthday to You!”

Wow, lucky Jan-jan, whoever he is. He got to be sung to even in our jokes.

A birthday is the most exciting day for a person every year. Aside from the parties and gifts (which eventually die down as you age by the way), is a marker of yet another year in the world. It reminds us of our privilege to still be part of the present era, where digitalization is the trend and that somehow we are still here to fulfill a mission.

I find birthdays very exciting too. My fetish for my natal day led me to counting down the days before it actually happens. I mentally plan how it will go, what will I receive and who will I spend the day with. Of course, not all plans always push through. But for the heck of it, I visualize well to feed my pleasure.

I spent nine years celebrating my birthday in McDonalds. Yes, nine years dancing with Ronald McDonald. It spawned my attachment to the fast food chain, even if I am now an adult.

With every lit candle blown, I make a wish for my whole year. This year there were no candles to blow, no cake to slice. There was milk tea to feast on and some nachos to bring the house down. Despite the absence of the symbolic flame, deep inside I made a wish hoping that the next year would be kind enough to fulfill my wish. Well make that wishes, I could accommodate more.

If you ask what they are, I couldn’t really tell you. The jinx master might just be around the corner. What I can share though, is a vision of what the next year for me will be.

It was said during The Freeman’s forum last week that the Senate is working on the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill. There are high chances that it will be passed into a law next year before the elections.

When this is passed, I see a very democratic and systematic way of getting the information we need, not only for journalists, but for all Filipinos who needs certain information from the government.

Maybe in the next year too, the children of the next generation would be very cautious when it comes to using gadgets and the social media. I can foresee that the campaign on responsible social media networking would bear its fruit.

In a US study, there are over five million children on Facebook. Why so? This is because the site is an avenue for them to talk to their friends and family members. As for a college student like me, we use social media sites for academic purposes and entertainment, as well. Social media is also becoming a venue for corporate communication.

Also, I hope that in the following months, we would be getting a fresh slate of elected officials. 2013 is such a crucial year for the Filipinos as we choose who will lead us for the halfway mark of Aquino’s presidency.

But we cannot really tell what is in store for us in the coming year. Maybe Jan-jan does.

**Published in the Freeman newspaper on September 25, 2012