Alex Maskara
Thoughts, Stories, Imagination of Filipino American Alex Maskara
For comments, inquiries, corrections and feedback, contact admin: alexzita5@gmail.com
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It is finally happening—I am gradually losing interest in the social media and internet world. While I still find occasional value in the information and curiosity it offers, I am stepping back, especially from platforms like Facebook. I still engage with apps like YouTube and TikTok, but my presence there is intentionally low-key, practically invisible unless someone is determined to seek me out.
I want to be like Jim and Matt, for whom the digital world is alien. Their lives are firmly rooted in the real world, leaving no room for virtual distractions. Jim, in particular, inspires me when I see him absorbed in sports on TV. He represents millions—perhaps billions—of people who resist the grip of technology designed to shape attitudes, modify behaviors, and lead users like zombies to a wasteland of emptiness.
That’s not the road I want to travel. Nice try, Meta. Nice try, algorithm. You won’t become gods to me. I’ve studied the science of computing, and I see through the manipulative designs cloaked under the guise of a ‘user experience.’ You can continue your schemes, but I won’t bow to you. Others may succumb to your lures, desperate to fill their social hunger and gain the fleeting recognition you offer in the virtual world. It’s tragic to see lives reduced to chasing illusions—mere crumbs of existence.
I remember the gamer kids, glued to their screens, sustaining themselves on a reputation built in the virtual world. Many denied their real-world needs—food, sleep, and physical health—just to maintain their presence in a realm devoid of true life. That is the last thing I want as I grow older.
I am profoundly thankful to the Lord for His blessings. First, for this house, which has become a sanctuary of peace and calm. I owe it to Jim, who led me to purchase it while he was desperately searching for a rental for himself and his dog, Rocky. I bought this house for their survival, but little did I know it was God’s plan for my own survival. Here, I have found the quiet world I needed as I embrace the wonder of my retirement years.
Had I not acted on that divine nudge, I might still be in that rental building, dealing with landlord-tenant conflicts and the toxic elements that disrupted my life. The bad influences I once allowed into my space drained my resources and destabilized my emotions. If I had stayed there, I might have succumbed to the toll on my mind and body by now.
But the Lord has always been kind. He lifted me from sinful desires and habits that tied me to that life and replanted me in this quiet abode. Here, I’ve rediscovered peace, self-love, and the profound silence of God. My days are filled with contemplation and meditation, guided by the Holy Spirit.
Some might attribute my life’s changes to randomness, dismissing my faith. But I know better. If I had relied solely on my instincts, I would have been lost—impoverished, broken, or worse, long ago. It is God’s plan, not mere chance, that has brought me to where I am today.
For this, I am eternally grateful. The Lord has shielded me from the schemes of the devil, holding me firm against the currents of this world. Reflecting on my life, I realize that many of the technological trends I once followed weren’t truly about technology; they were social constructs masquerading as progress.
Now, I choose a different path—one of quiet reflection and gratitude.
2025-01-08 12:13:57
popong
Today is Sunday, January 5, 2025.
I can’t believe it is already 2025! I am now over 62 years old. This year marks a significant milestone for me: I will begin receiving social security income and, for the first time in more than 34 years, I am freeing myself from the routines that dominated my life. Starting tomorrow, I’ll limit my work hours to just 10 per week, leaving me with an abundance of time to spend wisely and productively.
The first step on this new path is shedding old habits that have lingered too long, particularly in my digital life. For instance, I’ve stopped using Facebook, a platform that became a wasteful habit over the last two years. Social media opened my private life to others in a way I’d never experienced before, and while some people thrive in this environment, it has never been my natural state. I have always cherished solitude—a preference forged during a childhood marked by poverty and bullying. Alone, I found peace and fulfillment, imagining a world of serenity in open fields, deep forests, or by the sea, accompanied only by God. That imagination shaped my life and remains a source of comfort.
Despite my introverted nature, life required me to adopt an outwardly sociable persona to navigate my career in healthcare. I became affable, approachable, and even comical when necessary. I wore the mask of a gregarious individual—a far cry from the solitary dreamer who preferred running alone, walking in the park, or writing stories in quiet isolation. Pretending to be what others expected was exhausting, but I assured myself that someday, I’d be free to live authentically.
That day has arrived. I’m now turning back to the passions that once defined me: creative writing, learning, and expressing my thoughts freely. My obsession with writing began in my youth, first in notebooks, then on typewriters, and finally on laptops. I loved publishing my thoughts online, even when no one read them. Writing was my sanctuary. It connected me to great authors and inspired me to imagine and create without limits.
However, life interrupted my dreams. As an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), I carried the weight of supporting my family back home. My parents needed medical care, my siblings' children needed education, and my financial responsibilities demanded that I work tirelessly. I burned out mid-career and switched from healthcare to IT, attending night classes and losing sleep to master programming languages. Though I excelled academically, starting an IT career at 51 was an uphill battle, so I returned to healthcare out of necessity. I promised myself that once my responsibilities eased, I would return to writing and creative pursuits.
But something insidious happened: I got caught in the web of social media. Instead of reclaiming my old passions, I became addicted to scrolling, posting, and seeking validation online. Social media consumed the time I could have spent writing, learning, or building something meaningful. I had fallen prey to the algorithm—a programmer turned user, hypnotized by the very technology I once sought to master.
The virtual world seduced me with its allure of connection and creativity. Facebook allowed me to reconnect with childhood acquaintances and reshape my past, but it also distracted me from my real-world goals. The curated personas and imagined stories I crafted online became a substitute for authentic living. My true self—the writer, thinker, and learner—was buried beneath layers of superficiality.
Today, I’m reclaiming my interrupted life. I’ve stopped reaching for my phone first thing in the morning to check notifications. I’ve realized that likes, views, and comments don’t define me. The virtual world can never replace the tangible joys of reading, writing, or simply being present. Social media, for all its benefits, is just entertainment. It’s not real life.
Looking ahead, I’m committed to rebuilding the life I envisioned as a young man. I want to reconnect with the joys of solitude, creativity, and learning. I want to embrace the tangible world—to write, read, and explore without the constant distraction of screens and notifications. The digital life interrupted me once, but I won’t let it interrupt me again. My future is rooted in the real world, where I can finally be myself.
2025-01-07 13:43:57
popong
Popong15/Digital Cleansing
It is finally happening—I am gradually losing interest in the social media and internet world. While I still find occasional value in the information and curiosity it offers, I am stepping back, especially from platforms like Facebook. I still engage with apps like YouTube and TikTok, but my presence there is intentionally low-key, practically invisible unless someone is determined to seek me out.
I want to be like Jim and Matt, for whom the digital world is alien. Their lives are firmly rooted in the real world, leaving no room for virtual distractions. Jim, in particular, inspires me when I see him absorbed in sports on TV. He represents millions—perhaps billions—of people who resist the grip of technology designed to shape attitudes, modify behaviors, and lead users like zombies to a wasteland of emptiness.
That’s not the road I want to travel. Nice try, Meta. Nice try, algorithm. You won’t become gods to me. I’ve studied the science of computing, and I see through the manipulative designs cloaked under the guise of a ‘user experience.’ You can continue your schemes, but I won’t bow to you. Others may succumb to your lures, desperate to fill their social hunger and gain the fleeting recognition you offer in the virtual world. It’s tragic to see lives reduced to chasing illusions—mere crumbs of existence.
I remember the gamer kids, glued to their screens, sustaining themselves on a reputation built in the virtual world. Many denied their real-world needs—food, sleep, and physical health—just to maintain their presence in a realm devoid of true life. That is the last thing I want as I grow older.
I am profoundly thankful to the Lord for His blessings. First, for this house, which has become a sanctuary of peace and calm. I owe it to Jim, who led me to purchase it while he was desperately searching for a rental for himself and his dog, Rocky. I bought this house for their survival, but little did I know it was God’s plan for my own survival. Here, I have found the quiet world I needed as I embrace the wonder of my retirement years.
Had I not acted on that divine nudge, I might still be in that rental building, dealing with landlord-tenant conflicts and the toxic elements that disrupted my life. The bad influences I once allowed into my space drained my resources and destabilized my emotions. If I had stayed there, I might have succumbed to the toll on my mind and body by now.
But the Lord has always been kind. He lifted me from sinful desires and habits that tied me to that life and replanted me in this quiet abode. Here, I’ve rediscovered peace, self-love, and the profound silence of God. My days are filled with contemplation and meditation, guided by the Holy Spirit.
Some might attribute my life’s changes to randomness, dismissing my faith. But I know better. If I had relied solely on my instincts, I would have been lost—impoverished, broken, or worse, long ago. It is God’s plan, not mere chance, that has brought me to where I am today.
For this, I am eternally grateful. The Lord has shielded me from the schemes of the devil, holding me firm against the currents of this world. Reflecting on my life, I realize that many of the technological trends I once followed weren’t truly about technology; they were social constructs masquerading as progress.
Now, I choose a different path—one of quiet reflection and gratitude.
2025-01-08 12:13:57
popong
Popong14/Interrupted Life
Today is Sunday, January 5, 2025.
I can’t believe it is already 2025! I am now over 62 years old. This year marks a significant milestone for me: I will begin receiving social security income and, for the first time in more than 34 years, I am freeing myself from the routines that dominated my life. Starting tomorrow, I’ll limit my work hours to just 10 per week, leaving me with an abundance of time to spend wisely and productively.
The first step on this new path is shedding old habits that have lingered too long, particularly in my digital life. For instance, I’ve stopped using Facebook, a platform that became a wasteful habit over the last two years. Social media opened my private life to others in a way I’d never experienced before, and while some people thrive in this environment, it has never been my natural state. I have always cherished solitude—a preference forged during a childhood marked by poverty and bullying. Alone, I found peace and fulfillment, imagining a world of serenity in open fields, deep forests, or by the sea, accompanied only by God. That imagination shaped my life and remains a source of comfort.
Despite my introverted nature, life required me to adopt an outwardly sociable persona to navigate my career in healthcare. I became affable, approachable, and even comical when necessary. I wore the mask of a gregarious individual—a far cry from the solitary dreamer who preferred running alone, walking in the park, or writing stories in quiet isolation. Pretending to be what others expected was exhausting, but I assured myself that someday, I’d be free to live authentically.
That day has arrived. I’m now turning back to the passions that once defined me: creative writing, learning, and expressing my thoughts freely. My obsession with writing began in my youth, first in notebooks, then on typewriters, and finally on laptops. I loved publishing my thoughts online, even when no one read them. Writing was my sanctuary. It connected me to great authors and inspired me to imagine and create without limits.
However, life interrupted my dreams. As an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), I carried the weight of supporting my family back home. My parents needed medical care, my siblings' children needed education, and my financial responsibilities demanded that I work tirelessly. I burned out mid-career and switched from healthcare to IT, attending night classes and losing sleep to master programming languages. Though I excelled academically, starting an IT career at 51 was an uphill battle, so I returned to healthcare out of necessity. I promised myself that once my responsibilities eased, I would return to writing and creative pursuits.
But something insidious happened: I got caught in the web of social media. Instead of reclaiming my old passions, I became addicted to scrolling, posting, and seeking validation online. Social media consumed the time I could have spent writing, learning, or building something meaningful. I had fallen prey to the algorithm—a programmer turned user, hypnotized by the very technology I once sought to master.
The virtual world seduced me with its allure of connection and creativity. Facebook allowed me to reconnect with childhood acquaintances and reshape my past, but it also distracted me from my real-world goals. The curated personas and imagined stories I crafted online became a substitute for authentic living. My true self—the writer, thinker, and learner—was buried beneath layers of superficiality.
Today, I’m reclaiming my interrupted life. I’ve stopped reaching for my phone first thing in the morning to check notifications. I’ve realized that likes, views, and comments don’t define me. The virtual world can never replace the tangible joys of reading, writing, or simply being present. Social media, for all its benefits, is just entertainment. It’s not real life.
Looking ahead, I’m committed to rebuilding the life I envisioned as a young man. I want to reconnect with the joys of solitude, creativity, and learning. I want to embrace the tangible world—to write, read, and explore without the constant distraction of screens and notifications. The digital life interrupted me once, but I won’t let it interrupt me again. My future is rooted in the real world, where I can finally be myself.
2025-01-07 13:43:57
popong