Like a comet, blazing 'cross the evening sky...
I don't need to blame the Mercury retrograde on this one, but just as 2009 was a pretty horrible year when it came to the sheer amount of tragedies that struck us, 2014, on its first two months alone, has definitely come with its own brand of bad news.
A few weeks ago, one of the pioneer vloggers of the Philippines and Globe's social media manager, Coy Caballes, lost to a protracted battle against cancer.
He was a good friend, and certainly someone I always enjoyed speaking to. Insightful, trailblazing, and revolutionary, Coy, at his age, was doing things way before they were cool. He was a man ahead of his time, ahead of his curve.
And I know I've written about him earlier on already, but it bears repeating: Coy was a great person, and he will be missed.
Like a rainbow, fading in the twinkling of an eye...
Last Friday, a bus carrying mostly activists and artists fell down a ravine in Mountain Province. Among the 14 casualties was a man named Tado Jimenez.
I've know Tado since I got involved with Campus 99.5 way back in 2008. In the six years I've known him, he was nothing but a kind and generous soul: always playful, always witty, and always someone who was way smarter than his chosen character would have you believe. When I met his kids, and how amazingly eloquent they were, I realized that this was a man who really strived to be a good parent.
I remember about five years ago, when he asked me to perform an impromptu magic show for someone. He wasn't even there. He just wanted to spread some cheer to someone at random, and needless to say, I was happy to oblige him. When Limitado was launched in '70s Bistro, I was there, too.
The last thing Tado tweeted before his unfortunate accident was a joke at his expense while he was on the road. Who knew?
Like the loss of sunlight, on a cloudy afternoon...
Last Sunday, an old friend, gamer and cosplay photographer Vic Palileo, succumbed to a stroke. In his Facebook, he was actually inviting people to a shoot, and was looking forward to the weekend.
I've known Vic for longer than I could think of. Back when I still played L5R, which I did very briefly, he was one of the people I would speak to about it most often. Out of everyone, he was the one I most likely saw most often and most recently, as I ran into him earlier this year in Neutral Grounds. With all the things I've done in cosplay hosting, it was a safe bet I would see him there, too.
But not anymore.
Shiny and sparkly, and splendidly bright...
I still haven't honestly even worked my way past processing Coy's passing, but this hat trick has certainly done a number on me. Three people I considered friends, passing in rapid succession, as if not even giving you a chance to catch your breath.
I said it before, and I'll say it again: we're too young to be writing eulogies about each other, guys. I don't want to think about the next tragedy to befall us, but with them coming so close to each other, one can't help but be filled with sad, dreary thoughts, and your only consolation is, whatever the case may be, they no longer have to bear the cares of this world. They are, unequivocably in a better place than where we are today.
But we will still miss them all, because while they were here, they made this place we call our world just that much better by being here.
Here one day, gone one night...
I had so many pictures taken with Coy over the years, but I have never been good at archiving that stuff, and I've only ever started tagging photos just a year or two ago. I've probably had pictures taken with Tado, but none for my own benefit. I probably had a picture with Vic during the Hobby Haven days, but Facebook wasn't even a thing yet, at the time. In fact, when it came to Vic, most of the time, he was behind the camera, taking a picture of me and some cosplayer. There was that one time, though, where I was the one who took a picture on his behalf.
So true, the memories aren't as neatly packaged as I would want them to be. But they still exist, even if the pictures aren't there for the world to see. Well, it's not for their benefit that I write this, but for three of my friends who are no longer here.
Like the sunset, dying with the rising of the moon...
In life, we your friends have thanked you, appreciated you, and recognized what amazing people you were.
Thus, it's only fitting that in your death, we commemorate all of those things, as we should.
We'll see you around, Coy. Thanks for the memories, Tado. You will always be remembered, Vic. But though we may realize that you are now in a better place, you can't blame us if we feel, that you were...
Gone too soon...
From this world. But not in our hearts and minds.
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