Online Journal 4: Jerry Gracio’s “Bagay Tayo”
I used to envision love as some kind of fantasy— one inspired by Disney fairytales filled with billowy dresses and prince charmings ready to sweep princesses off their feet. As I got older, I felt love in a multitude of ways, and I realized that while love in itself is a truly majestic act, it is something that happens in the simplest of ways. It is not something you force and definitely not something you can stop from happening. Jerry Gracio’s “Bagay Tayo” gave me a glimpse of the inevitability of love — you find it in the oddest and the most mundane of places — and how it is nurtured by the stories and moments you and your loved one share.
“Bagay Tayo” is a collection of essays about Jerry and Pitbull’s life. We focused on three anecdotes, namely, Love at First Sight, Kuwento, and Pitbull. It tells us the story of how Jerry and Pitbull met, how they fell in love, and even gave us a glimpse of the obstacles they faced that strengthened their bond — one that has lasted for 13 years. Gracio wrote these stories lightly, a simple and chronological narration of a love story between two people, and yet, it held so much depth and emotion. I honestly felt like a trespasser, a stranger peeking at their simple yet intimate moments. These stories all revolve around one thing — the role stories play in building and maintaining relationships. Gracio had a hard time making sense of Pitbull’s stories when they first met, but still, he fell in love with him because of it. He wrote about this in Kuwento, right at the beginning. Love begins with and is strengthened by stories — stories that change and vary because of our devious memory, a memory that selectively chooses what to remember and forget. And so, our stories change with time, and as we listen to several versions of a story, we learn to love the storyteller itself. As he gives us a glimpse of who Pitbull really is in the last anecdote, a complete opposite of the people Gracio had dated in the past, I am reminded of how love is boundless. It breaks free from whatever standard you have set for yourself, pushes through and prods on the deepest parts of your heart. I am sure I’ll learn more once I read the book and marvel in its entirety, not just about love, but also about life itself.
I can say that Gracio poured his heart and soul into writing this, with details that seem small and insigficant — but all that reached me in so many ways. Although he shared just snippets of their love story, he filled it with details that made me think of love — its simplicity and complexity. His sentiments resonated with my own few experiences. I cannot say that I entirely relate to their story, as I am still young and I have so much more to discover and experience. Like Gracio, who stumbled upon Pitbull accidentally, I am not looking for love, as I know that it will come to me at the right time and place — I can only hope for a love like theirs for the meantime. One that takes the time to know me and my past, and one that stays with me as we go and see what the future holds.
