My St. Thomas More Day

Today's a law school holiday - St. Thomas More's. While most of my fellow law students spent their days doing their thesis or otherwise just working on their cases, I was at the posh Teehankee Center getting interviewed for the Frontline, a quarterly glossy circulated among Ateneo alumni and faculty. The photo shoot took the whole afternoon - from the ocular inspection to the preparations to the retakes. I have a feeling that only 2 will actually end up getting published. I had fun, though. I learned about reflectors and flash and that when you wear white, everything around you comes out a tad darker in the photo. We shot in 3 locations - in the Center, beside the statue of St. Ignatius, and on the steps leading up to the school. When we were in our second location, the janitors and security guards from the ground and second floor balcony were waiving at me. "Ma'am Suguitan!" Now, that was fun!

The interview was for the Ateneo Jesuit Leadership Program of the law school. It came after the shoot and lasted only an hour. The interviewer was a woman in her 40's. She came in with her son, who's probably four years younger than me. He said he read about me in Heights, the Loyola Schools literary folio. Now, that was way back! I felt a little odd and old. It was a little unnerving to be going down memory lane for this interview. I realized I've been around for quite some time now. Nope. We're old! We have memories!

After everyone left, I stayed behind to tidy up the Center. I spent some time looking out into Rockwell from the huge windows. I was seated on an oak chair in front of an oak desk. "I'm gonna be in this business all my life," I thought. The sun slowly set over the Joya towers, which made Rockwell blush pink and gold. Traffic got a little heavier along Hidalgo Drive. The palm trees lining up the roads waved their branches with the evening wind. These are the moments that make you go down on one knee in endless praise.

I sighed quietly and looked over at my ringing cellphone and the pile of readings beside my bag. Work calls. Indeed, as St. Thomas More said, "I'm the King's servant, but God's first."