LIFE and GAMEBOYS during the PANDEMIC 2020
2020 is indeed a brand new year, a brand new era; however, it is also undeniably one of the most challenging. As much as we want to celebrate this year, we are still battling this invisible disease that hit most of us rock bottom. Most of us had to adapt changes in order to get through. This pandemic is making us uncertain with so many things which sometimes make it hard to bear. Surprisingly, in the middle of our fight with this deadly virus, there are still good and beautiful things amidst it. Not romanticizing the situation but if we just take time to look around, we can get hope even from the smallest but beautiful things that encompass us.
This is me, sharing one beautiful thing I’ve seen during this difficult time. I can’t exactly remember when but I think it was early June, as I was browsing my Social Media to help me fall asleep I checked my Twitter trending topics and I got curious with this certain topic “GAMEBOYS”. I thought it was all about the 90s handheld game console, but I was wrong. I read some of the tweets and it made me open my YouTube to check on it. It is an original Pinoy Boy Love (BL) series. I got excited because one of its main casts is Kokoy De Santos, and just by seeing his name, I already knew this series is worth the watch; considering also his partner in the series, Elijah Canlas, both of them are undeniably and visibly great actors, quoting “Fccbois and Kalel 15”. Without any hesitation, I watched the first episode (it already has two episodes up that time), amazing as it is, I got hooked. What's unusual and incredible about the series is how they managed to combine two serious topics in one, “Covid-19 and LGBTQ community” without making it too hard to watch. Instead they made it informative, enjoyable and giddy. Every episode has touched my heart; it made me feel alive, in love and grateful.
This series has a special place in my heart, how it carefully tackled the two serious timely topics is really something I will treasure. It has given me some realizations and learning about life amidst this pandemic;
First, we are all in this together. We need each other in order for us to survive, because a single wrong move from one person will have a huge effect to many. Second, we need to learn how to listen to become aware. This world needs more kindness and compassion. It may just be all we need after all, considering all that is happening. Third, we all need love and acceptance in order for us to grow and live. It must know no gender. We must stop the old stereotype categorizing the LGBTQ community as different. We are all the same, all human, therefore all deserving to love and be loved. Fourth, mental health is indeed the new wealth. It is something we should not set aside, but rather, something that should be delicately and gently handled so as not to break the sanity and peace, no matter how fragile they have become, in this challenging time. Emotional Pain is invisible, so let us be observant and sensitive with what others go through. Lastly, we must deeply value the friendships that we kept and built during this pandemic. Those friends have become our rock, the very rock that witnessed our desperation with all these uncertainties, and also the stronghold that kept us whole throughout this battle. And when all of this is over, it will still be the same rock where we will stand tall and declare victory over all battles we’ve won – big and small, seen and unseen, fought alone and together.
“Don’t forget beautiful sunsets need cloudy skies, quoting this from one of the great authors, Paulo Coelho. Every sunset has different stories for each and every one of us; it may be an unhappy memory that needs to be forgotten, or rather a blissful moment to cherish. Whatever a sunset means to us, we should always remember that it needs to set for it to be able to rise again. Gameboys is a beautiful sunset for me. It gave me lots of time to reflect, and some moments transported me back to old memories. As I was writing this part, I became a bit emotional; it took me hours before I gathered my thoughts. I remember these two specific episodes of Gameboys which made me tear a lot, Episode 7 and 8. Just like Cai, I lost my father too. It was last year due to heart attack. Those episodes brought me in the exact time and day last year where I felt so weak, so blank, and in so much pain. I also chose to disconnect to people (just like what Cai did), for me to be able to grieve. It was the hardest and most painful moment for me. There are days where my mind was so preoccupied with the memories I shared with my father. But as days, months passed by, I managed to get up, not to forget my father but to live again even with the thought of him being gone. Those episodes reminded me too of how blessed I am to have a support system coming from my Family, Boyfriend and Best friend. They are my very own Mommy Leila, Kuya London, Paris, Gavreel and Pearl. The ones who stayed.
GAMEBOYS, a beautiful sunset. Despite the challenges our world is encountering right now, they managed to give us something beautiful at the end of the day, something we thought could never happen, something that made us want more, and something to look forward to. GAMEBOYS told us through their show to always live 'til the next sunset, stronger and braver.
Ps: THANK YOU, IDEAFIRST COMPANY for giving us an inspiration during the pandemic. Words are not enough to describe how grateful we are. Thank you, GAMEBOYS!
