Memories and tears for Palisades
It has been ages since I last wrote an article here. I have promised to come back again and again but had not built up enough courage to muster an entry.
Some questions in my head that I have had to battle with are: Do I still have what it takes to satisfy the interest of the current readers? Are my kids going to be all right with what I have to share? Do I have the time? The list will go on and on and then another day, month and a year passes by without churning out an article worthy of the approval of the lifestyle editor (Tita Millet). And yet here I am after a call from her that sort of jolted me out of my seat and, yes, my comfort zone.
My editor called me while in the middle of our company presentation and when I couldn’t answer, she left a message that has me here back on my computer with a definite deadline to finish this article.
After having been on a two-week break from posting anything on my Instagram feed, I finally shared a photo of my Pali(sades) High Cross Country Team.
My heart has been broken from all the news about the fires in Los Angeles, and specifically the Pacific Palisades area, where I spent all my teen years.
Tita Millet said I should write about this and share it with you, our dear readers. I told her it has been hard for me as thoughts of the fire always bring me to tears... so I write this on bended knees and in between tears.
How does one begin to pick up the pieces from having lost everything? How does one recover? I have been just on the receiving end of the news and I am torn to pieces with the thought of people losing everything.
What more for those very same people whose lives were put to a halt? Being so far away, I felt so helpless but I have had to snap myself out of that zone and instead got my phone to reach out to friends and family who are at the very center of this whole fiasco. Thankfully, all of them are all right, although still not completely out of danger, but at least communication lines are open. And then there are countless opportunities that have come up for people like me to help so at least we have the chance to do something.
Some of you may be wondering why this is so close to my heart. You see, I spent all my teen years in The Palisades. Went to school in what was then Pali(Sades) High School and now known as Palisades Charter High School. Our school is famous for having been featured in several Hollywood films, including Carrie and Freaky Friday. I went there in the ’80s.
During such time was when Whitney Houston experienced meteoric rise with hits like Saving All My Love for You and I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Madonna was launched to stardom with hits like Like a Virgin and Material Girl. Michael Jackson’s Bad album was released (1987) as well as Prince’s Purple Rain (1984) and Sign o’ the Times (1987). Tom Cruise made a mark as a leading man with films like Top Gun (1986) and Rain Man (1988) and Whoopi Goldberg was hailed for her performance in The Color Purple (1985).
I lived with my foster family—the Edwards. Uncle Paul and my Tita Helen are dear friends of my mom from way back in the ’60’s when they made films in the Philippines together. My Uncle Paul went back to the US and settled with my Tita Helen in the Palisades. He wrote and directed numerous notable TV shows such as Gunsmoke, Elizabeth Taylor’s North and South and V., among others. We didn’t have a television in the house and the sound of classical music filled the air to allow Uncle Paul to have serenity for his projects. They have a son, Jason, who loves reading and basketball. He became my ally and helped me get well adjusted to life in America. My Tita Helen was an amazing cook. We loved eating her home-cooked meals from pottery she made herself! We lived—the four of us—on 16812 Charmel Lane. Life was simple and away from the hustle and bustle of city life. I considered our lives in the boondocks to be quiet and surrounded by nature. I don’t remember ever experiencing any fires during my stay there. One of the things we avoid is for our dogs to be out of the garden too long that they wander in the woods where they may have encounters with coyotes.
The community was quite tight-knit; most people knew each other. I had firsthand encounters with famous celebrities like Sylvester Stallone at our Village Cafè and some other long-time residents include Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Warren Beatty, and Annette Bening.
Our school was just by the Pacific Ocean and most of my classmates were also surfers who would just run to the beach after class to surf. Some would come in flip-flops, just in case there was a chance to take a stroll at the beach after school. We were known as the Dolphins. I loved my high school experience. I signed up for all the Advanced Programs I could get into, like English Literature and Spanish. I realized I could love math, chemistry, and physics because we had amazing and entertaining teachers who made it so fun for us to learn. I learned to drive in school because we had a subject called Driver’s Ed and there was an actual car on the campus we could learn to drive in. I also learned to type 60 words per minute in our typing class. I was part of the Swim Team, Cross Country team, Girls Basketball team, School Newspaper, and the Yearbook Club. It was like a dream with unforgettable milestones that have greatly shaped who I am today. Imagine going to school by the beach; imagine going home to a two-mile hike all the way to the top of the mountain (where our house was) and to stop once in a while to take your breath and then be refreshed by an amazing view of everything green and sprawling beneath you. The awe-inspiring cliffs overlooking the ocean’s expanse was just paradise.
When I see all the recent photos and videos of what the Palisades is now, it is hard to connect it with my reality but that is today’s reality and something I have to face. What lives is the memory in my heart and the moments shared with people who have been part of all those wonderful years. I am reminded about what really matters in life—people and the relationships we built with them. So we continue and move on with that and choose to stay thankful for every little blessing we have today. I wish for hope, safety, and resilience for all those affected by the fires. I pray for renewed strength to face the coming days and remain thankful for all the angels that come for all the people in need. I know there will be brighter days.
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Looking for ways to help? You can do so via World Central Kitchen, Wildfire Recovery Fund, LAFD Foundation,
LA Regional Food Bank, and the Malibu Foundation.
