Offer I Cannot Refuse

Early this evening I got a call from an "avid reader" of this blog and told me of an offer which I could not refuse. Quite frankly, I was surprised to receive the call but I was thankful that I was one of those considered by this avid reader. I was offered to write for a local newspaper and I was given a column of my own. I was told depending on my free time, I can have my column appear in the newspaper twice or thrice, if not daily. It has been a while since I contributed to a local newspaper. The last time I wrote for a newspaper as freelancer was about 2 years ago when a good friend of mine, George Pontino, was still the lifestyle editor of Sun-Star Bacolod. I have known George since my college days and I met him first when I was invited to (re)join the local chapter of the World Futures Studies Federation. The secretariat then was in Bacolod and a year before that, I was actively involved in a related organization (Global Youth Visions Project) and was one of the Philippine delegates to the Australian Conference in Brisbane. George has this great talent for writing and drawing and painting. It was inevitable therefore that when I became the university's yearbook editor-in-chief, I had to tap George to design the yearbook's cover. When he got accepted as lifestyle editor, he offered me a spot to contribute for his lifestyle section. The last contributions I gave him was under the column title: Vox Bienni.

I have always felt that writing has been my secret love affair. I am a frustrated writer, a wannabe storywriter and a person with a dream to write a book. I am thankful to this "Avid reader" for offering me another opportunity to continue my secret love affair for writing.

I was told that the editor will try to contact me by tomorrow. I do hope I can get to write and contribute once again. There are many things to write about. And with this great opportunity comes great responsibility.

Hmmm. I was told I can write under a pen name or pseudonym. Maybe I will write under the name Calixto Innocente. Calixto because I was born during the feast day of Pope Callistus, and I was christened during the feast of Holy Innocents.

Or maybe I will write under the name of Lee Bini, an anagram for my first two names. But I think I like the first one better.