Kathryn’s Story and Freshly Pressed

I chanced upon this story in Terry’s blog http://terry1954.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/the-gift-2/#comment-20535 (titled: The Gift) and it was one of the best Freshly Pressed picks for the month of November, as far as I am concerned. If there is anything I don’t want to miss in WordPress, it is reading the monthly picks on Freshly Pressed. This story got me sitting down there for quite a while until I found myself reading the story over and over again.

And I just don’t want to like it only, much more, leave stereotyped comments such as “awesome”, “another great post here”, or the type that is trying to get more hits (“nice post, you may like mine too”) by expecting that the favor be returned somehow. In fact, in this case, I was surprised a bit to see my comment already competing with the main story in terms of length and breadth. Ah, maybe because I was just expressing my thoughts and feelings in pure candidness and I just can’t punctuate it too soon. No. I can’t leave it. I have to do some deep breathing to keep me composed. (You should have read that post by now).

Honestly, for the first time in my life, I discovered l am a real man after knowing that tears were rolling down my cheek as I was reading Kathryn’s story. (Don’t be surprised. A recent study revealed that Filipinos are the most emotional people in the world). It was so moving and beautifully written and the imagery so clear I can see the scenes unfolding one after another. But no matter how I roll the scenes back and forth, it will always stop at those two good neighbors – Solomon and Fred, and the apartment manager who shared his car and the doctor who made arrangements that Kathryn should better be housed in a nursing home. And if I have to wish for anything on this, I shall borrow a fellow blogger’s words: “Indeed, the fundamentals of humanity should really be invested in loving and sharing”. It is an investment, after all, that can never go bankrupt.

My emotion breaks down, as always, whenever I see, hear, or read about people who show their bests as human beings in demanding situations like this one. And I don’t hesitate to spend tears (of extreme awe and admiration) for people who are as lowly and obliging as Solomon and Fred.

I read all those FP stuff – the top ten monthly picks to be more specific. It took me extraordinarily longer time, though, reading Kathryn’s story, not because it was longer than the rest, but because I was reading it over and over again.

Terry never dreamed of Freshly Pressed (FP). In fact, she never heard about it until she was listed among the privileged few who were given the FP glory. She just gave me the idea that when one writes with the sole intention of getting freshly pressed only, that someone will never get it because his focus oftentimes gets him off the story by rather crafting the writing and styling to conform with FP requirements rather than the requirements of the story.

Now, I think, freshly pressed is made simpler by the heavy human factor of Kathryn’s story, however, maybe not easier. By human factor I mean the story was climaxed by man’s instinct to give value to his fellow human being. Nothing could be more touching than seeing people too willing to give of their time and efforts for the sake of fellow human being. While man’s capacity to display his instinctive and sympathetic character are always there, not too many are given the chance to prove themselves. That makes for fewer Solomons and Freds that we know.

Kathryn’s story taught us two things: 1. Man’s instinctive nature to help are always there whenever demanded by circumstances; 2. You don’t have to write for freshly pressed; it will find you when you have written a story that FP editors find it so hard to ignore.

You just have to write sincerely with your feelings 100 percent into it, and of course, the right story at the right time matters. Freshly Pressed editors may not be able to take an overdose of one single type of good stories all throughout their lives. This is why some bloggers don’t get freshly pressed however they imitate the writings of the freshly pressed bloggers and no matter how they follow the requisites of freshly pressable posts.

Terry (the blogger), I give you my congratulatory handshake, my warm embrace, and tender kisses. You deserved to be freshly pressed a hundred times more.

(This has been the entire comment I left in that post and I got the reply below):

Reply ↓

• terry1954 on December 10, 2012 at 10:20 pm said:

Thank you very much Maxim. I am very touched and humbled by your comment. I write from my heart at all times. I don’t try to be like others as I am only me, and no one else. God urged me to begin writing earlier this year, and he helps me place my words for easier understanding. I give my credit to Him. I feel quite honored receiving this freshly pressed honor. You have brightened my evening, Maxim, and I thank you for this. God bless.