Of Discipline and Inspiration

Many writers I know, especially the prolific ones, will tell you that inspiration is overrated in the writing process. Discipline is what counts, as I often hear in the writing workshops that I've attended, and I am inclined to agree with this.

This is something that I've also heard from one of my math professors. She said that when in the process of proving, say, a theorem, you'd really have to strap yourself to a chair until your proof gets somewhere meaningful. See just how related writing and mathematics are? 😊
***
Aside from my observation that discipline is a requirement in both writing literature and doing mathematical activities, I've found that I am inspired to do one after being significantly immersed in the other.

For example, I've written a lot of poems and stories while being stuck in my linear algebra, operations research, and probability theory classes.

On the other hand, I used to ace exams that I took immediately after practicing the guitar for a significantly long period of time.

Later on, many of the pieces I wrote that got published eventually were those that I wrote while neck-deep in my Master's thesis writing. And words just seem to flow when I decide to write a research article while being stuck in the middle of writing a poem or short story.

Just last night, after having my brain fried for constructing two 40-item multiple choice exams in algebra and precalculus, I was able to write a decent children's story.

So I guess, at least in my case, when one side of our brain gets tired, the other one is in overdrive. We just need the discipline to make sure our motor systems act on these inspired moments.

(Meaning, go get your pen & paper / laptop and just write!)

Bangbangboy

Performed by U. P. High School in Iloilo students Kaye Pauline Larroder and Neil Francis Vicentino during the "Commemorating Miriam Defensor-Santiago's 1st Death Anniversary: A Continuous Advocacy for Women's and Gender Rights as Human Rights" at the U. P. Visayas GCEB Training Rooms.

Bangbangboy
ni Early Sol A. Gadong

Nanay ko, bayaan ta ikaw
Presohon ako karon nga adlaw
Ugaling kon ikaw hidlawon
Laragway ko imo lang lantawon

Nanay ko, kon imo bisitahon
Tani ako imo na patawaron
Ugaling kon ako imo akigan
Akon gid ikaw maintindihan

(Tsip, diin niyo ako pagadal-on?
Dali lang gid, luyag ko hambalon
Pagdroga, indi ko na pagliwaton
Kay nanay, lihog nga ipaalinton.)

Nanay ko, bayaan ta ikaw
Ang aspalto, tuman gid katugnaw
Nanay ko, kon ikaw hidlawon
Laragway ko imo lang lantawon.

(Tsip, anhon ko ang pusil nimo?
Indi ko kasarang magpalagyo
Tsip, diin ako makadto?
Maluoy ka, maluoy kamo.)

BANG!

Nanay ko, bayaan ta ikaw.

BANG! BANG!

4:00 P.M.
21 August 2017
UPHSI, Iloilo City

Gugma

Lunch time convo with non-Ilongga friend.

Friend: So, Bacolod gets its money from sugar. Gen San gets its money from tuna. Zamboanga gets theirs from sardines. Where does Iloilo get its money from?

Me: From GUGMA 😁

----------
To give non-Ilongga friend a better response, I googled "Iloilo City economy."

Me: Hey, it says here that "Industries in Iloilo City include management of port facilities, telecommunications infrastructure and utilities, banking and finance..."

Friend: So what goes through your port?

Me: The people who love us, of course 😁

---------
Coffee time convo with same friend.

*I was putting back excess sugar in the canister (I was going to throw it away).

Friend: Ibalik mo yan kasi pawis yan ng mga mga taga-Bacolod. Kayong mga taga-Iloilo, anong pinagpawisan niyo?

Me: Grabe ka, nakakapagod din kaya ang magmahal. 😁

#ILOveILOve

Facebook post from here.

Nagbulaganay Kami

The Hiligaynon expression "Nagbulaganay kami" could mean one of three things:

1. We parted ways
2. We broke up
3. We blinded each other

There's a poem or flash fic in there, somewhere. But first, coffee.

#PatudloHiligaynon

Facebook post from here.

There is no Hiligaynon word for goodbye.

There is no Hiligaynon word for goodbye.

An Ilonggo who leaves says, "Lakat na ko." One who sends another off says, "Halong!" or "Balik-balik lang."

"Lakát" means *walk*. 

"Hálong" means *take care*.

"Bálik-bálik lang" means *come back anytime*.

So I guess Ilonggos, sweet and full of gugma as we are, may have actually been built for walking away.

On the other hand, Ilonggos may have also been conditioned for being okay with getting left behind. Because even when people walk away from us, we would still wish them well. We Ilonggos would still welcome them back.

[I can almost hear all my good friends collectively saying, "Ikaw lang nà ya, Sol!!!" ]

#PatudloHiligaynon

Edit: Pwede kuno "paalam" for goodbye. So it really does take wisdom to move on.

#FacebookPost from here.

So I Left My Ilongga

I knew of many tongues, hers

Included, and it bothered her

When I got so confused with

Ahay Bitaw Naku Tao kimo.

For years, she’s failed to hide

The ugtas beneath the melody

That accompanied her voice.

My Ilongga was tone-deaf. So

I asked her what she wanted.

“Ang mahalin ka,” she sighed,

Knowing well that I knew her

Heart language – Hiligaynon.

So I left my palangga, I left

Her land of gugma, but not

Before leaving her my shell

Of a heart, all emptied, dahil

All this Tagalog’s kasingkasing

Ever wanted was mahalin siya.

13 May 2017

12:00 P.M.

Deca Homes, Pavia

Sugat

“Wala na ang sugat

na iniwan niya,” siling

ko sa akon nga sugat.

“Kasi nandito ka na.”

27 May 2017

8 A.M.

NAIA Terminal 2, Pasay City