On summer and sunshine

Classes have ended. And summer is come where, it is said, there is smile in every lip, twinkle in every eye, and a song in every heart.

Throughout the ages, poets have loved summer. Geoffrey Chaucer who lived in the 14th century in his old English wrote, "Now, welcome sommer, with the sonne softie,/ That has winters weders overshake."

What makes summer beautiful is the sunshine.

I always love that word, sunshine, not because I call my youngest daughter with that name but because sunshine is life. Sunshine is hope, sunshine is happiness, sunshine is love, sunshine is sharing. It is sunshine that makes the day beautiful. For what is life without sunshine? And it is sunshine that makes summer memorable!

* * *

Hearts are aglow with the beautiful memories of youth and the thrills of summer time.

I have also become what many call in Latin, "Laudator tempura acti" which means "Praiser of the beautiful things of the past."

And what can be more interesting on a lazy Sunday afternoon than feel the touch of a fresh April breeze. And here I remember the song of my era.

"Every time I hear the breeze,/ Whisper in the willow trees,/ I am filled with memories,/ Of my summer love…"

Yes, summer love. And the beauty is capturing it in the bank of one's mind when summer was spent with friends courting girls and the thrill of puppy love.

But remember this was a conservative era that was characterized by "look only, no touch.

If caught by the father the boy kissing his daughter, you were in danger. But there were those who dared and got away with it. Laudator tempura acti, really.

* * *

"Summer afternoon, summer afternoon, to me those have always been the most beautiful words in the English language." This is according to author Edith Wharton.

And that's the thrill a summer afternoon brings.

Or another author, John Galsworthy wrote, "Summer - summer - summer! The soundless footsteps on the grass."

In his sonnet, Shakespeare says beauty is an eternal summer that does not fade.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?/ Thou art more lovely and more temperate,/ Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May/ And summer's lease hath all too short a date."

* * *

Summer memories! Summer memories! Dancing in barrio fiestas was the joy of the era which fiestas were plenty in summer.

And dancing was really dancing in that era which we called the "slow drag" also called "cheek-to-cheek" without extravagant gestures and movements.

And the beauty was just the standing there, embracing each other and whispering sweet little nothings into one's ear with the beautiful soulful music by the orchestra from the compositions of Xavier Cougat, Glenn Miller and Guy Lombardo, the great band leaders of the time.

This was in the 50s and during an International Fair in Manila Xavier Cougat came on the invitation of Manila Mayor Arsenio Lacson and was very happy to find out everyone he met spoke Spanish.

It was in this Fair, I think, when the first Miss Universe Armi Kuusela of Finland visited Manila, courted by Virgilio Hilario, won her, followed her to Hawaii, and married her in a whirlwind courtship.

* * *

Let's leave memories behind. Last Saturday we attended the gathering of Ceneco officials and employees at Villarosa Beach in Sum-ag.

We are happy in the latest report of NEA, Ceneco is now the best in performance in Negros.

I'll write more about this tomorrow.

* * *

I got text greetings from lawyer Roseller "Bing" Ramos from L.A. advising us to take things easy. Yes, Bing.

I am happy to hear from Bing he is okay. He once had a mild stroke and overcame it.

* * *

Speaker Jose de Venecia promised we will have a parliamentary government soon. I hope the Speaker and President Arroyo make it.

We are all agreed, we need the parliamentary form of government to avoid the gridlock that our government encounters now.

Statistics have shown we are always the sick man of Asia because we are not getting enough foreign investments like the other Asian countries.

And the reason is our laws are not conducive to foreign investors with stringent rules against them, especially owning real estate property and repatriation of profits.

This is the result of many leftists that influenced President Cory Aquino and the 1987 Constitution.*

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