My Thanksgiving Recollections
by Nic "Baloy" Musico

When I first came to the U.S. over thirty years ago, I had the expectation that I will be working as a janitor, a yardman, or a sugar/pineapple farm worker the rest of my life. I was told that Hawaii is a blue-collar State and these were the only jobs available. I was ready to get my hands and knees dirty. I was consoled however that in America, it is not the type of job you do that matters, it is how much money you make. Though resolved with this idea, I could not help to think that America is known as the land of freedom and
opportunity.

I therefore looked around me, studied what made people tick, what made them successful, what made them happy and content?

As the Mayflower pilgrims hunted wild game for food, I went to farms, bought and slaughtered pig. This was the only way I could stretch my meager $1.60 per hour pay and fed a family of three. During those times, a 200 lbs pig cost $50. Once a month, my wife, infant son and I woke up at 4:00 the morning and drove to the farm. There were many other people there waiting for their turn to slaughter their pig.

We normally brought a portable gas stove, and cooking utensils. After bleeding the poor screaming pig, throwing the carcass in a tub of 190 degree F water, and cleaning the bristles off the skin, the first thing I did was slice enough meat so that my wife can start cooking dinuguan while they wait for me to butcher the rest of the meat. By noon we had eaten lunch and ready to go home. Half of the meat, I sold to neighbors to defray cost. Sometimes someone bought half of the meat for the total price I paid.

As the pilgrims learned to eat Indian corn, I learned from the Ilocanos how to go to mountain hillsides to harvest wild bitter melons, collect guavas and passion fruits.

Like the pilgrims who learned to fish the waters of Plymouth Bay, I learned how to throw net to catch "tilapia" in Pearl Harbor. I also learned to use the Hawaiian sling (fishing spear) to fish along the reefs of Haleiwa and Waianae. And, in fact, in 1975, I was terminated from my part time job because they could not reach me during weekends…I was always out spear fishing. I became quite good at this and never failed to go home without a string of "palata" (sargeant-major) and "iro-iro" (wrasse).

Unlike the pilgrims who had to catch wild fowls and birds along rivers, all I had to do was collect empty egg trays and exchange them for chicken and eggs. I got a dozen of eggs and 5 live hens for every 30 empty trays. I also trapped doves at the Kalihi valley… "talagang remedyo palagi."

When I was alone, I thought a lot about life back home, my friends, my relatives, and I kept the sadness to myself, sometime silent tears dropped. At one point, I felt vanquished and I wanted to return home to Romblon, but I could not face the thought of being called a loser.

Many thanksgivings passed, and I always tried to reflect what God had given me the previous years. I can only be thankful for the many challenges that developed my strength and confidence. Opportunities allowed me to help others and I know in my heart that those people helped when given the opportunity will too, someday help others. I know that I am blessed with more than many other people, and should be doubly thankful and happy for what little I have.

My definition of success has changed over the years. The obsession to acquire material things has almost disappeared. I know it is weird and even my bank manager when she looks at my financial statement, tells me that I wasted opportunities to make more money. Somehow, the opportunity to help others, the chance to impart to my children that being nice to neighbors is an art of survival, to do their best all the time, the opportunity to teach them other survival skills, are in my opinion sufficient. If Dennis Normandy reads this portion, he will give me big scolding because he is strong proponent that we Filipinos should achieve the highest level of financial stability to be able to help more people.

I am here in the States and I was able to bring my mother and seven younger siblings, their spouse and children because of one angelic human being. And that is my wife who unfortunately is afflicted with chemical imbalance. She approved and supported all the things that I did, both for my career and for the family. Though it might not be enough to repay her kindness, I pledged to myself to care for her the rest of my remaining life.

Now, thirty years later and as I continue to reflect the many blessings given to me by the Almighty, all I wish is to be able to continue the same things that I was tasked by the Lord in the past.

I thank foremost the Lord and the people around me.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Amoyawon