⌛ another reason to thank for

To you kuya James"kojak" Hughs, thank you from my heart and i salute you as our todays heroes. Thank you for giving us filipinos one more thing to count our blessing.


EVERYDAY HEROES
by: JAMES “KOJAK” HUGHS

I have often written about what people have given to the Philippines. I talk about Jack and Penny who give a home and an education to Filipino orphans. You met Mike who supports schools and orphanages.

Frequently I mention Chuck and Joe gave a library to a local school and support dozens of local students in their quest for an education. I wrote about the Norwegian doctors who, along side of Filipinos, provide wheel chairs to crippled children. Then there is Diane and her husband who challenge the local children to develop and use their creative talents. I honored the Rotary Club that provides free medical services to those who are in need among a host of other worthwhile projects. While the lists of Everyday Heroes is long and growing everyday. I have never written about what the Philippines have given us.

I can not speak for the others; I can only speak for myself. The Philippines have greatly improved the quality of my life and probably saved me from an early grave. To fully appreciate the impact the Philippines had had on my life, both physically and mentally, you must know about my life before I came here.

I started life, as we say in America, “Without a pot to pee in and no window to throw it out of.” We were dirt poor. Our water came from a stream and we had no bathroom (CR). I often had no shoes for school and sometimes it was days between meals. I joined the Army at a tender age and in thirty years survived two wars. This hard life left many scars both outside and inside.

I often was not a nice man. When I retired from the service I began to slowly dissipate physically. I got fat, lazy and had no social life. I resigned myself to being celibate and never getting married. When I first came to the Philippines I weighed over 310 pounds. I had a long list of medical problems and bad hygiene. My purpose in coming here was to pay off a lifetime of debts, write a book and live a quiet solitary life.

For the first year in the Philippines, I never even though about dating a woman or becoming part of the community. Then a chance meeting with a young Filipina changed everything. I will save the story of our romance for another time, but it suffices to say she changed my life. It took me four years to win her heart. She has made me a better man and given me a new life.

I have lost over one hundred pounds. My personal hygiene problems have disappeared.Any of my doctor says he wishes he was as healthy.

Beyond those physical improvements, my mental and emotional condition has also improved. I no longer have those nightmares and ugly flashbacks of the horrors of war. I am no longer filled with anger and rage. I take joy in helping others. I have grown and learned so much since moving here. My doctor says I should live to be 100; If that is true I have the Philippines to thank. For the first time in my life, I am part of a real family; I am part of a community. Thank you Dumaguete for giving me a home and a new life.

(publish in dumaguete local news paper The Negros Chronicle)

 

Thanks Duma for sharing your "testimony" Sounds like there are many good people in and around Dumaguete.
In a World of selfishness and greed it was good to read some good news for a change.
May your life continue to be Blessed
(It was meeting my Filipina wife that change things for me too).
Regards......JB

 

hello..john boy, its been a while that we say hello . Truly, it's always a good feeling to read someone wrote their true to life story with honesty. JB, it is not mine ,its the guy name "James "kojak" Hughs. His "testimony " only tells us, goodthings come in so many ways.
Thank a lot for your good wishes. You too and your wife and family keep happy. Someday...we will be meet in dumaguete.

 

THANK YOU for sharing that story.... you have made both Rick and me cry. What an incredible life experience .. We can only hope to be so lucky in our upcoming move to Dumaguete.

Rick & Sue

 

Welcome to the city !

Welcome to the DI and the city of Dumaguete Rick and Sue. Good luck and all the best to your new found home. Hopefully , you also, one of thousand happy, inspirable story that we will heard and read in this site.

 

Thank you for your kindness and good wishes! We are so excited about our move, and we are counting down the days until Rick's departure from the US on April 8th!

~ Sue