It is times like these when I do miss the adrenalin rush of a good news scoop, the competition among media network; and the fame that goes with the one to get the earth-shaking exclusive story. That has been my life for 20 years (please read my daughter Arizza’s writing about those days at: http://www.krislibrary.com/2/post/2011/07/a-biography-the-kris-library-founder-armand-nocum.html).
As Ampatuan and Bedol stole the media stage last week, I was deep in preparations and packing of goods and school supplies for kids attending the opening of the 3rd Kristiano-Islam Peace Library in Montalban, Rizal (please read http://www.krislibrary.com/1/post/2011/07/kris-library-is-my-tylenol-my-ponstan-my-pain-reliever.html.
As Bedol surfaced and faced the media pack yesterday, I was playing golf with my junior golfer Ashia. And as the media pack descended on the Heart Center of the Philippines where Zaldy is confined today, I was again playing golf with Ashia to prepare her – and myself – for tomorrow’s 2nd Diether Ocamp Celebrity Golf Cup, where Kris Library is one of the beneficiaries.
In fact, that same old feeling of “media high” came back as I saw this morning media colleagues from the Senate beat again mob and later tail Senator Manuel Villar who was one of the speakers in the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Expo 2011 at the SMX Convention Center in the Mall of Asia. I used to cover the senator when I was still a reporter for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Indeed, my world has changed after my heart angioplasty operation last year. Although there is still some stress in my legal public relations (PR) firm business – Dean & Kings – I now try to get clients with less stressful cases. If possible, we now choose cases that give least harm to people.
In the process, I sometimes feel the world is passing me by as my firm turns down highly exciting and excitable cases that can somehow prick one’s conscience. Maybe I’m getting soft?
What the heck! Today I managed to capture on video Asia’s 14-feet putt and I realized no media or PR excitement can match the simple joys of a father-daughter bonding.
PR clients and business deals are just around the corner, but the moment frozen in time spent with your kids will never come back again. Never.