Pounding The Keyboard

       A nephew wanted a new phone so we accompanied him to the mall. His current phone’s old (a mid-range Android phone) and everyone in his office is using an iPhone, so his choice was an iPhone. He’s still young, a fresh graduate, so he’s still vulnerable to peer pressure. The phone (iPhone 16 Pro) jaw-droppingly cost almost a hundred thousand buck (including the tempered glass, casing, and other whatnots), but thank goodness, it’ll be paid via installment, but still, it’s quite pricey. That phone is even smaller than my mid-range Android phone (which cost me just around 15K three years ago).      My nephew’s an IT guy so a high-end cell phone, one that’s state-of-the-art when it comes to technology, is sort of a prerequisite.      But would I buy that kind of phone for myself if in case I could easily afford it? I don’t know, I’m not an IT guy and I’m not into things that will only serve as a status symbol. My mid-range smartphone will probably be with me until it conks out.

       Few days ago, I had a little ‘writing accident’—the glass plaque that I received from a major script writing contest many years ago fell from my shelf and broke (the base separating from the body). The photo above was an exaggeration, but it resembled my plaque. It was a sturdy , beautiful plaque; just that it fell from quite a high place. That contest was the only writing contest I ever joined in my life—I wanted to see if I could write a movie script. I probably could because it became a finalist. It probably didn't win because it was quite depressing. It’s the only recognition I got for wasting my life writing. Lol. No, I think I was nominated Writer of the Year once or twice in a komiks publication and received certificates for it. I have no idea about the whereabouts of those certificates now.        Few months after receiving the plaque, I got a call from someone who worked at this huge TV company (which owned the company that launched the writing contest), asking

       This morning, I was having a problem storing a new reminder on my Notes app on my cell phone, so I started deleting old reminders hoping it would help. Most of my notes were about our dog (vet appointment, the medicines and food I’d buy him, etc) and tasks I’d do. Then I saw this peculiar reminder dated October 10, 2021 and titled Toni V . It shows numbers 32-16, then 4 partixipant , then 60M, then Toni V , then 2 thugs, 1 jockey, then numbers 41, 30, 510, 50 .      Toni V , I could easily understand. Toni V is a lady and a pretty boss of mine (yes, I have pretty bosses) I deal with as a freelance editor-proofreader. Maybe, I wanted to be reminded of her because I would ask her something about a manuscript I was working on or any work-related matter. But the others, especially the numbers, I can’t remember what they were about. Can’t be lotto numbers as they included the number 510, and I don’t bet on lotto. The 4 partixipant entry and the 2 thugs, 1 jockey, I can’t a