A Letter to Me 10 Years in the Future

Oh Dear Old Man Me,

Ten years ago today, we were just entering the third year of this pesky covid-19 pandemic. Remember the lockdowns, quarantines after another, work-from-home schemes, Zoom online meetings, pro-vaccines and anti-vaccines, face masks, stupid face shields, social distancing, deliveries from Lazada, Shopee and Amazon? If you no longer remember, oh that is sad. Very sad. I know that 72 years is no joke for memory cells to keep track of history. I feel you, me. I hope all isn't lost, though.

But what do you recall of this time ten years ago? Hello, can you still hear me? HELLO! Is this loud enough? Can you still read clearly?

Do you remember Northpoint, our small village in Quezon city? Gil, the cute little stray cat we used to see when jogging around the block? Can you still name the usual neighbors we run or walk with? Do we still live here or have our prayers for a new home been answered already? Are you reading this in the man cave we wanted to have for the new home? 

Do you remember? Wife Rissa, son Andre and daughter Nikkei? I made sure I tagged them correctly just so you wouldn't get mixed up with who's which. No grandchildren yet a decade ago. How many are they now, anyway? I hope there are twins. Anyway, as I write this, the wife still works with the homeschool, Andre with me at #toespinlighting and Nikkei just started at #henkel. Everyone working from home, still, because of the Omicron variant of the virus. Had there been more variants after Omicron?

Ten years ago, I had yet to break 100 in golf. In my last game, I did poorly at 121, hitting double pars here, there and everywhere. But since then, I made good adjustments to my grip, swing, shoulders and wrinkles that I was sure it would make for a massive improvement in my game. Well, did it? What year did the first birdie happen? Is Charlie Woods the most popular golfer now? Andre and I have been dreaming of playing golf in another country. Did that happen without making a big fool of myself?

Whisky and coconut juice were my go-to cocktails 120 months ago. It was something out of the usual shaker, so to speak. There was just this one night with the family watching a K-Drama --"Run On," remember? I was craving for a drink and all that I can find were the Double Black bottle and a tetra pack with left-over coco water from dinner. That and some ice, voila! What's your poison now?

Buchi, your nephew. I mean our nephew. I mean, my nephew. Whew! Wife Guia was expecting their second baby due August. We were hoping for a boy, then. It was what Gianna, their first, wanted —a little brother named George, a character from Peppa Pig. I bet he's now a mischievous ten-year old tad, taking after his dad. Is he not? How many third generation rascals do we have now? I hope they get way past the 17 we siblings produced. Much more fun, I bet.

Has science found a cure for lower back pain already? How about hair loss? Is Wordpress still the thing in website design? How many cameras does an iPhoneXX have now?

Who's the president now? I hope that thieves and crooks no longer crowd government posts. I still believe in miracles, you know.

Wait! Are you still in our beloved Philippines?

Wait! Earth? Well, I'll be...

To the past ten years, raise your cup, old man. And to the future, too. Cheers!