Before and Now by Cora

When I was young, I did not have to worry about many things. All I did was to play and play. I did not know yet the meaning of hardship. I was then a little child who was not aware of the true meaning of life. There were times that I was mad, sad, and cried, but it was just for a moment and turned into joy. My happiness would be satisfied in a very simple way, which I shared to my playmates and friends. They were the special people who were important to me including my family.

I remembered the first time I entered in the school. There were many people around the classroom, and those people were the parents of those studentr, and those students were my classmates. I was then a grade one student. My mother bought le a new bag, pair of shoes, notebooks with different pictures of cartooon characters, pencils, `nd all the things th`t I needed in school. Honestly, when I was in grade school, I really love to rmell my newly bought school supplies. It made me happy every time I had seen those things of mine.

I did not already remember some of the names of my classmates in first grade, even though the name of my crush. Yes! I had my first crush when I was in grade one. But there is only one person that I would never ever forget. He is my neighbor until now and his parents and my family have good friendship. He was my childhood friend, but he always made me cry. Every time I see him now, I always remember our friendship and quarrels, and it makes me smile.

Before I graduated in elementary level, my adviser in sixth grade left us a simple but meaningful message for us to be aware of what would might be happened in our life when we would be graduated in grade school. She said that, when we reach such end, we would face the new beginning of life's journey. I realized that, when I entered on the next level of my educational journey in highschool, the beginning was started again, like when I was in grade one. It was very different on my previous life. I met new classmates and they became my friends. At first, it was very hard to adjust. The environment was not really the same just like before. Some of my teachers were not as patience as my elementary teachers were. Some subjects had changed too. It became more difficult than in my usual subjects in elementary, but I able to overcome those kind of circumstances.

What kind of person is me right now is the foundation of what I had experienced and contributed to myself. I never said that the outcome of my past is all positive. The journey of mine is not yet done. There are many trials, failure, and victories that is waiting for me. I have to push myself in hardwork, determination and eagerness to do my responsibilities and task. So that, I would be able to face all the trials that will come into my life and make me more competetive and stronger person.

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CORA is friendly but a loner type of person. She lacks of self-esteem but always trusts God. She is easily get hurt but never failed to forgive those people who are offended her.

My Writing Escapade by Mademoizelle

I’m running out of words… to scrawl in this empty sheet of paper. I’m running out of neurons… on my head just to think, imagine and think again to write like a genuine writer. I’m running out of time… since there seems no room for concentration. Still, silence is around. A few seconds, minutes and hours passed by and I had written words, phrases, titles, sentences without certain direction. Then suddenly on my head, it’s like I am digging a very deep soil, perhaps on a quicksand I felt I was about to sink on it. Good Lord! What an oblivion mind I have tonight! Do I really have the guts for this kind of endeavor?

Asking myself what writing is all about I guess is as fussy and imperious as what life is all about. Figurative, idiomatic, poetic, melodic, scientific and biblical- we live for many reasons, missions, choices and pathways. It’s like being a writer of your own story. And for me, writing is like a Death March! I have to walk a thousand miles, a lonely road, cross a river, climb hills and mountains just to enter the kingdom where pen and mind are mightier than the sword.

Perhaps, I have to flashback now when I first fell in love and befriended a pen. Playful and innocent is the kind of child I used to be. The time has come to change and I was about to enter a new playground where pen and paper is my only toys. It was during my fifth and sixth grade in school. On my English and Filipino subject, a formal theme was a prerequisite every grading period. Still fresh on my memory, the topic and title of it (My Autobiography, My Most Unforgettable Experience and My Dreams for the Future). I won’t deny that I owe my elder sister greatly for sharing her skills of writing with me. For that, I thank my gratitude to my one and only sister, my first writing guru. I also thank my two advisers in grade school that appreciated my works and encourage me for writing though I only did this because of grades and requirements. It never occurred to me as a habit especially during vacation. Other than that, on my first experience to write a journal was during high schools as English requirement. It was good and my teacher also appreciated my works. AS of now, I wonder if I really have the gift to write effectively-as in a future career to be a writer. Many times, I felt that I’m frustrated and trying hard writer especially if I know someone my age or classmates who have this skill.

For this reason, if I could write a thousand words with different colors such as red for love, orange for fun, yellow for hopes, green for nature, blue for peace, indigo for courage and strength, and violet for passion and grace, truly my life will be as majestic and chaste as the rainbow of God’s embrace.


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Mademoizelle is simply unpredictable, introvert, music and nature lover. She is a Christ’s child, born with imperfection and discontentment. Indeed, she is a sinner who seeks for God’s forgiveness and wisdom, who aspire for more spiritual happiness and pray for my salvation with my loved ones.