By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas

I had to go to court for some small incident related to a past case. Since I had to appear before the judge, a formal attire was required—coat and tie. And My God! After one and a half years of being home and office bound recovering from heart and kidney failure, the changes were shocking.
Since I lost a lot of weight, everything has become loose, from shoes, to pants and shirt and everything in between. I never noticed how serious it was as I had been just wearing casual clothes the whole time. Babadoy badoy. Having the right fit in such did not matter or was ignored. After all, the serious reasons to go out were just to medical labs and doctors’ clinics for medical procedures.
My skin was not spared, naturally. The sudden loss of weight resulted in wrinkles everywhere. How to tighten it? Yes, I googled and the answer I got might be the best, exercise. For those desperate to lose weight, now you know the answer. Go through a heart failure, or stroke or, perhaps some other serious ailment and 100% you will lose a lot of weight. So, still have that fetish to lose a considerable number of pounds?
Then I had to put on a neck tie and I was surprised. As if I didn’t know how to tie one. It took me three times of trying before I got the right process and adjustments. Then I put on my coat and it did a good job of hiding the looseness of my pants and shirt.
As if spending considerable amounts for medicines, medical procedures and doctors’ fees was not bad enough, now I realized in consternation, I have to spend badly needed finances to change a major portion of my wardrobe. It cannot be helped. Unless I want to be called Rip Van Winkle come alive after sleeping for 20 years.
At any rate, It was good to be back. I managed to reach the court building but I was a bit late due to an accident on the road. There was a vehicular collision causing a humongous traffic. While my case was not called due to other issues, it did not really matter. Instead, I went to take care of another business at the Office of the Register of Deeds which was part of my itinerary that morning. Things went smoothly there.
On the whole the day was phenomenally successful as far as I ws concerned. Not just because I realized how good it was to be back, but because I was not really back in a way. I am not any more the way I used to be. Am a lot better person now. Or so I think.
After going through a life-threatening episode, you change a lot. Of particular importance is realizing how valuable life is. We always took it for granted, but for me, not anymore.
Then there is the resulting humility. At my ripe old age of 69, I have been through a lot of humiliating experiences, almost all of my own making. Yet nothing can be more humiliating than being helpless when your life was about to end.
But therein lies the best lesson of all. Nothing you can do but to surrender to the ultimate power. And as you lose your pride or ego, there is a new beginning. A better one where money, name, fame, and power are so trivial. After all, these are all a lot of shit when you are about to breathe your last.**