I am Alexander C. Dela Cruz, Jr, and I am The Rainwalker.
Rainwalker – An “R”, A “W” and a number 13.
They say, “The Sweetest Sound to a Person’s Ear, is the Sound of Someone Calling Your Name.”, and for a fact, this statement may be the primary reason why parents nowadays tend to spell the names of their kids with different degrees of complexity, without even considering how the kid/s will feel, the first time they are told to write their name on a blank piece of paper. The more complex and difficult to enunciate and spell the name, the better. A ton of consonants, plus a length as long as 2 lines, plus a minimum of 2 names joined together, the complex, and at times, compound combinations of names are endless! All for one reason: so that that person’s name stands out among the rest. For an individual to be unique, to be different, to be a separate entity from everyone else in this community we are all in – your name defines your identity. Even in the field of forensics, to identify a person with a sense of anonymity, he or she is called “John / Jane Doe”.
Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, both fiction stories, both highlight the significance of what’s in a name – POWER. To those who are not familiar, both of these defined that NAME is PRESENCE – how they called Lord Voldemort “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” for almost 4 or 5 books, until he rose and whooped everybody’s a*s in the wizarding world. And how every Demigod flinched every time they mentioned a god, a titan or any creature from the underworld, fearing that who or whatever they mentioned might appear beside or behind them in a flash of blinding light. Calling out by the name, equates to summoning – it is a way of calling out the attention of a living or non-living thing. Imagine how you could make people, things or even the supernatural appear instantly, by the mere call of a name. That, my friends, is Power in One’s Name.
Different Names, Different Identities, Different Degrees of Power, associated to every one of them. But what’s really in a name? Does the name define the man, or is it the other way around? What makes a name definitive of an identity? What makes it powerful? For me, it is, the STORY behind the name, and the influence it makes and the reaction it gathers, every time one opens his mouth to tell it – and so goes the man named “Rainwalker”, and the story behind the name.
Mount Banahaw, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines
2004 of the present time – vacation, to be exact (March-May), the first time me and my family were able to set foot in the lovely province of Lucban, Quezon, Philippines. Located at the Southern Part of Luzon, under Region IV-A: CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon Provinces), it takes around 4-5 hours of travel by land transport. Lucban, Quezon is home to the “Pahiyas” Festival, a feast for the saint, the patron of harvest and farming, San Isidro Labrador. The province is also home to the famous delicacies like the Lucban Longganisa, Budin (Cassava Cake) and the Pansit HabHab. Moreover, the province is also home to Mount Banahaw, a remarkable landmark for Quezon Province, a famous pilgrimage site and a natural and rich ecosystem. All the good things packed in one – a festive lifestyle, delicious food and the great outdoors. Needles to say, it was luck that brought me in the province – well, a pinch, maybe, but a large of it was unavoidable circumstance – lots of it.
Life will never cease to amaze you, however, it will also never cease to challenge you. I remember how my dad was able to work abroad, and how me and my mom lived a very luxurious life. As I grew up, I saw how life become like a game, a video game, to be exact – you begin easily, and when your progress goes further, the harder it gets. My dad got laid off from his work abroad, and we began living along with my grandparents from my father’s side (My dad’s mom and dad). When my grandparents decided to sell the house and lot where we lived in Manila, we had no choice but to follow them in Lucban, Quezon.
I know, at this point, you might be asking, “So, where’s the Rainwalker in that?”. I mentioned a lot of great things about the province of Lucban, Quezon. However, there is but one downside: the weather. I have never been to a place where the rain pours down 24/7, in 365 days! My dad told me once that Mount Banahaw is a rainforest ecosystem, which explains the everyday downpour. There goes the “Rain” part, but how about the “walker”?
Walking – for 2 years, I was able to survive the province’s harsh weather, going to and from school, walking, with an enormous umbrella that can house 2 adults. You might say it’s an easy task, and meh, but I was not walking a short distance, I was not walking twice a day ONLY, to and from the school, and I was not walking on even, flat ground. Distance was about 2 Kilometers, class schedule was from 7 in the morning to 12 in the afternoon, then resumes at 1 to 5 in the afternoon (a total of 2 walks to school; and 2 walks from the school to our house), and, for me, it was still a “walk” rather than a “hike”, but it was really more of a “trek”, walking an upward slope of asphalt from school towards home. 4 Kilometers of hike a day, for 2 years. If you were asking why I was walking, you might want to check out how much a tricycle driver, my dad, earns in a month in the Philippines.
Hence, the name “Rainwalker” was found – a man who had no choice but to push forward, through the rain, with nothing but an enormous umbrella that’s as big as his heart, for the greatest of his dreams. A man who had no choice but to be strong, and even stronger each day for the one’s he truly love; and a man who had no choice but to make the best out of what life gives him, to be triumphant at the end of the day, for the whole world to see and to be proud of.
Rainwalker…a name, yes? Not really, and not only. The name has come a long way from just being there for name’s sake. More than a name, Rainwalker has become a lifestyle, just like CM Punk’s “Straight-Edge” (No Liquor, No Cigarettes, No Drugs, Just Pure Badass). For me, living as a Rainwalker is defined by being able to face the realities, whatever there is that you have, making the best out of what the Heavens give you, to make it through this battle called Life. Given nothing but a huge umbrella, The Rainwalker is able to brave through the heavy rains and the torrential downpours. Being able to face the adversary, with nothing but good intentions and a compassionate heart; Bringing nothing but happiness and joy to everyone, despite the fact of becoming deprived of his / her own happiness and joy; Being able to smile behind every heartbreak, laugh behind every disappointment, and most of all, inspire others behind every failure he / she has been through; become all of these and you’re on your way.
Lastly, living the Rainwalker in one’s life requires an important thing – being able to see the good, the better or even the best in the bad. Being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel – that attitude we all learned from Jennifer Lawrence’s and Bradley Cooper’s Movie “Silver Linings Playbook”; EXCELSIOR – defined as turning one bad situation into a good one.
I do believe that everyone can definitely become a Rainwalker. The question is not of “How” but of “Why”. Living a life like the one I have is not easy, but at times, it can come naturally. All you need are the right reasons for doing the things that you do, the tools that Life is giving you, and a heart that can endure everything Life has to offer. Dig deep, ask yourself and eventually, you’ll find the Rainwalker within you.
