12th Regional Higher Education Press Conference - CAR

I’m a such a scatterbrain and a disappointment (and a failure).

Trying to be punctual which I seldom do, I got to the venue at exactly 8AM. Looking through the glass and feeling the warmth of the sun, I waited for my seniors, the Editorial Board. I guess I got there too early, no one was still there and the registration sheet was still fresh. So much for trying to be impressively on time!

The Editorial Board of The Alternative, our school’s official student publication, entrusted me the honor of representing our school organ in this skirmish of talented writers as a Feature Writer. It really is an honor, out of all the equally-skilled staff writers and new staff members (like myself) I was chosen to sheath my literary sword in front of other people!

My event came and like how the barrel would roll, it was a lecture about Feature Writing then it’s off to the contest proper. Walking towards the room, I could feel my head getting lighter. The window sill displayed the city skylines. I calmed down as I admired the buildings outside. Composure? Check.

Our resource speaker then said she won’t be giving a particular topic and we would choose what we please. Composure? Lost.

Being the scatterbrain that I am, as mentioned in the former, I began to panic. What should I write about? Jessica Zafra? E-Books? RH Bill? Being the Narcissist I am? My attraction to intelligence and left-handed people? Cookies?

I actually drafted portions of the aforesaid then scrapping the idea. I settled with the 2012 Prophecy. I was overthinking what I would write thus, a crappy output was born in yellow paper.

I can tell that I won’t be joining the Luzon-wide Press Conference. I think I’m the only one in the troupe that would be left behind here in Baguio, left to drown in resentments and disappointments.

I was a helpless neophyte in a dangerous battlefield.

They believed in me. It was never my intention to let them all down. I keep on thinking about what they might say like “We should’ve chosen someone else to compete” and the likes.

I hope some twist makes the judges think that my piece is somehow up to par and worthy of the 5th spot, haha! It’s 5th or nothing for me.