Expect the Unexpected

Life can bring all sorts of things. Sometimes, even though I try my best to be prepared in facing what it brings, I still find myself open-mouthed and wide-eyed after a certain event or circumstance left me unaware. Good thing I still have what I call "the capacity to bounce back". That means, more often than not, after I hit on something I never expected and fell down, I still have the courage to dust myself and get up.

There are things that I face that may be as simple as a change of plans after preparing for it the whole day. Like preparing for a date and then at the last minute, my date decides he cannot go. "Rebounding" is as easy as removing the makeup and changing the clothes and probably thankful that I wont have to leave the house that day. I may feel a bit stupid after getting all excited with all the preparations and may feelings may be hurt. But hey! There's always Kleenex to remove the makeup and probably wipe the tears.

Then this morning I was looking forward to having my picture taken for my Social Security card when I found out SSS has been upgarding their computer system and they are not accepting any applications right now. That sucked since I seldom get a time off and all that time and effort did not give me the result I wanted.

Anyways, I wrote this entry not just because I experienced a couple of unexpected events today. It's just that this story disturbed me--- the story about a three-year old kid who died last Friday. I had nightmares about it last night after my sister told me that her classmate witnessed a three-year old baby girl fell down from the third floor of this mall near my former University. I mean, I go to this mall almost everyday of my college life. I can practically close my eyes and still know my way around it.

I should probably blame my vivid imagination and my sister's animated story-telling as she described how her classmate saw a blurry thing fell down from the upper floor. Then someone screamed below. Followed by a mother's frantic cry, "Anak ko!" (Stupid, stupid mom for leaving her kid alone. What a pity though.) Then the classmate looked down to see a small child wearing blue with her face down on the floor. A security person ran to her to take her to the hospital, which is just beside the mall but I doubt the kid is alive. Then the classmate (who is a guy) saw the bloody and broken face of the kid. He threw up in the comfort room.

I was not able to catch it on the news that Friday night since I was at work. But I can still feel goosebumps when I think about it. I'll never feel the same when I stroll in that mall again.

Now, who could be prepared for that? And how could someone "bounce back" after that?

I have no idea.