Thursday, August 25, 2005
Jojo died today....
I got to the gym early for my boxing session when my phone goes "DARNA". A message just came in from Carla-our AMCI President. "Labs, can you send out this bulletin to members who are in your phone book? I'm out at the moment please? Jojo Marcellones B2k3 Inductee passed away today. Please pray for the repose of his soul. Details of the wake to follow." Shocked, I managed to send out "What happened?" Carla answered back "He was practicing his sky diving when his parachute didn't open."
After that message, I still went on to box. But my mind was somewhere else. I had one of the most intense boxing sessions because I was angry. Angry at the unfairness of it all. Jojo was a young man working as one of the chiefs of security for Ayala Corp. He was suppose to be inducted but could not join the induction climbs of 2003 because of work. I bumped into him in the training sessions and in the 1st climb. He told me he would get inducted this year. I know him. I liked him. He has no mean bone in his body. He was a very unassuming fellow but when he talked he made a lot of sense.
I know that sky diving is an extreme sport and carries a tremendous amount of risk. Since I do engage in extreme sports like scuba diving, mountaineering and mountain biking, I do know that there are a lot of safety protocols to make the sport safer. You have to be reconciled to the fact that extreme sports magnifies your chances of getting killed. But when it happens to a friend, it is still very hard to accept that you will never see him again.
I don't know why it happened to Jojo. I won't even try to ponder the reasons why Someone higher up took him away from us. He has his reasons and sometimes we don't know His reasons. We sometimes question Him and doubt Him. But this time, I'll have to trust Him and pray to HIm to accept Jojo in His Home.
After that message, I still went on to box. But my mind was somewhere else. I had one of the most intense boxing sessions because I was angry. Angry at the unfairness of it all. Jojo was a young man working as one of the chiefs of security for Ayala Corp. He was suppose to be inducted but could not join the induction climbs of 2003 because of work. I bumped into him in the training sessions and in the 1st climb. He told me he would get inducted this year. I know him. I liked him. He has no mean bone in his body. He was a very unassuming fellow but when he talked he made a lot of sense.
I know that sky diving is an extreme sport and carries a tremendous amount of risk. Since I do engage in extreme sports like scuba diving, mountaineering and mountain biking, I do know that there are a lot of safety protocols to make the sport safer. You have to be reconciled to the fact that extreme sports magnifies your chances of getting killed. But when it happens to a friend, it is still very hard to accept that you will never see him again.
I don't know why it happened to Jojo. I won't even try to ponder the reasons why Someone higher up took him away from us. He has his reasons and sometimes we don't know His reasons. We sometimes question Him and doubt Him. But this time, I'll have to trust Him and pray to HIm to accept Jojo in His Home.
