My License to Coolness

This is the essay I wrote for Candy so I can be a part of Candy's 6th Council of Cool...

I deserve to be a part of Candy’s 6th Council of Cool primarily because being cool is my forte. I believe that the word cool can mean different things for each individual. The top on my list of being cool is having the time of my life. I try to make the most of each day and I enjoy every moment I share with my family and friends. They say I’m very friendly and funny and it’s probably because I want the environment that I’m in to be always happy.

I am cool because you can talk to me about anything. We can talk about serious stuff – family, love, problems and you can make me a shoulder to cry on. Or we can go on the light stuff – what are the things that make boys go gaga, the songs in the music charts, movie flicks shown in theatres, top-selling books or we can even talk about latest Hollywood or local showbiz buzz. We can exchange corny jokes or share our thoughts about politics and economy. I can explain to you the reason they say, ‘I love you with all my hypothalamus.’ We can discuss the various body systems or simply the function of your obicularis oris. We can also talk about the reproductive cycle which involves menstruation, dysmenorrhea, or the birth process. I can also assist you with a health-related problem and its proper intervention. I can give you an advice or even refer you to a professional if needed. I am cool because even though I can be talkative, I know how to listen. I know when silence is needed.

I am cool because even if I am ‘big’, or should I say chubby, I am flexible. I can’t think of anything that I can not do or won’t do if you let me. Two loves of my life are writing and photography. I love to write short stories, poems, and songs. Through writing, I am able to speak up my thoughts and ideas. I also love taking pictures of people and nature or just about anything so I can capture priceless moments. I can sing and play the piano. I am not a good dancer but I can dance if nature calls for it. I remember the time when we had to teach some abandoned and abused children in an institution as part of our NSTP class. No one in our group knows how to dance and I was the only one with guts to volunteer to teach the kids. Fortunately, I have a friend who dances well and asked her to teach me a few basic Hawaiian steps. Then, I just taught the kids all the steps and moves I learned from my friend. It was tiring but I had fun and everything turned out just fine. I like swimming, volleyball, badminton, and table tennis. I can also play basketball. I like traveling. Although I have not been anywhere abroad, I am proud to say that I have been to many places here in the Philippines already. I have seen Paoay church and the tomb of Marcos in Ilocos. I have joined the Pahiyas Festival and tasted ‘kiping’ in Lucban, Quezon. We already went boating in Baguio’s Burnham Park. I have gone to different resorts in Los Baños, Laguna. We hiked the trail of Taal Volcano and went horseback riding in Tagaytay. I enjoyed every minute of my stay in the man-made falls in Villa Escudero, Quezon. I have gone snorkeling in the magnificent waters of Puerto Galera, Mindoro. I have walked along the world-famous white sand beach of Boracay. I have enjoyed the beautiful scenery in Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga. Someday, I would want to stroll along the Great Wall of China, reach the top of the Liberty statue in New York, or go to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower and be amazed with the beauty of the most romantic place in the world. I am very adventurous. I like to go camping and hiking. I have gone parasailing, wall-climbing, jet-skiing, and snorkeling. I would want to do scuba diving, bungee jumping or sky-diving in the future. I have told myself that I can’t die without doing those things. I am even more than willing to join the reality show, Amazing Race so I can do a lot of new things and go places.

If I get to be a part of Candy’s 6th Council of Cool, I want to show girls that having a bigger size isn’t a hindrance in having fun and doing what you want to do. Whatever your size or status in life, you need to be able to love yourself first in order to radiate that love to others. I would want to touch the lives of other teenagers like me and share to them just how cool life can be.