Impeachment. Alex Eala. Julmar Cordero.

They occupy my thoughts these past days.

That mpeachment is top of mind is a no-brainer.  The sounds and images are forced upon us via news channels each day a hearing is held.  Sound and light waves fill our eardrums and retinas for a regular fare lasting several hours.  The optics are full of technicalities. The dance and cadence of the lawyers for and against the absentee respondent are fascinating to watch.  All these in search of truth and facts; and hopefully, after all is said and done, judgment is rendered.  Whether the judgment is just or not, history will tell.  As of now, the members of the jury show their leaning in favor or against the unseen elephant in the room – a matter that violates their oaths.

Alex Eala, of course, has dominated the sports news – win or lose.   But her uniqueness is that she has converted her tennis platform as a mix of community, patriotism, and a master class of extemporaneous responses to media questions after each match.  We all see her shine, but we forget the trials she has gone through for the past 13 years to be where she is now.  Alex is all at once a great in the battlefield of tennis, a model of Filipina simplicity and beauty,  with a dash of shyness and propriety unexpected for one so young even if the atmosphere is filled with curses, oaths and death threats from leaders who should set  good examples for the many who are young. That Alex was unscathed by all the harsh realities of life as Filipino, is a cause for joy and hope.  It is a cause for celebration to realize that not all are tainted by the poisonous environment we all live in nowadays.

And finally, I would like to say good-bye through this column to my man for all reasons, seasons and tasks – Julmar Cordero – my all around assistant, carpenter, tinsmith, welder, joker, and one-man team helper 24/7.  His mortal body lost the battle against the bottle, and where he is now in the heavens, I say Cheers! Let’s drink to that!