By the time I was eight, I knew I had a thing for writing.
In grade school, I was drawn to children’s books I couldn’t afford to buy, so I made the most of the annual book fair that visited our school. I would stop by before heading home, flipping through pages, getting lost in the stories I wished I could take with me. I was especially fond of the ones featuring the pilandok (Philippine mouse-deer). Every time I left, I carried a lingering feeling—one day, I wanted to write a children’s book of my own.
And then, I grew up.
I ended up enrolling in an English language and literature program at PUP after running out of slots for accountancy. It wasn’t my first choice, and to be honest, I didn’t see myself becoming a teacher after graduation (let’s face it—the common stereotype is that English graduates either teach, work at a call center, or pursue further studies). At that point, I didn’t even think I wanted to be a writer. But as I immersed myself in the program, my passion for writing and reading only grew stronger.
I had great professors—the kind who unveiled the magic hidden in every literary text. I loved my literature and writing classes, where I learned what made good writing and good storytelling. I took every opportunity to sharpen my skills, eager to absorb as much as I could. I fell in love with poetry, and along the way, I met a friend who shared the same passion.
But passion alone isn’t always enough. As much as I loved writing, I didn’t have the resources to fully pursue it. Every time I went home from school, my worries weren’t about perfecting my craft but about getting through the day. I couldn’t afford to buy many books, let alone a Kindle. Writing workshops for students were out of reach—not just financially, but in terms of time and energy. More than anything, I lacked the emotional support I needed as a young woman trying to carve out a future for herself. While my peers were focused on honing their skills, I found myself asking a different question—how could I even afford to be good at what I loved?
I don’t write just to express—I write to create. That’s why, when I finished my undergraduate program, I was eager to jump straight into graduate school and immerse myself further in literature and writing. But, as you know by now, I didn’t have the resources. And just when I finally felt ready, the pandemic hit.
The world paused, and so did I. Days bled into weeks, then months, then years. Survival became the priority, and dreams—no matter how fervent—had to take a back seat. The uncertainty was suffocating; every plan felt like it was written in sand, washed away before it could take shape. By the time the world started moving again, I had lost my rhythm. I stopped writing. I stopped learning about writing. The recovery wasn’t instant—it stretched on, slow and unsteady, like relearning how to walk after years of standing still.
And now, with a clearer mind, I’ve come to realize that I didn’t have the head start my peers did. I used to feel a deep sadness watching others seamlessly pursue their passions and vocations. Some went straight to graduate school after graduation. Others transitioned into new careers without the weight of immediate consequences. Many found their footing within a year or two, thriving in ways I could only dream of. Some even seemed to step out of PICC already knowing their life’s purpose.
And so, every single day, I found myself asking: Wasn’t I good enough, brave enough? But excellence and bravery aren’t defined by a single moment.
I don’t believe in pure luck, but I do believe that opportunities—or the lack of them—shape our paths. If I had the right support back then, I might be completing my doctorate in creative writing by now. I might have published at least two books. I might have already built a career in academia. But I didn’t.
Instead, those years were spent filling in the gaps, making do with what I had just to get by.
Every child has a dream, but whether they can chase it often depends on the circumstances they’re born into. If all the children had the space to express their dreams and aspirations, and had the resources to achieve them, the world would be a much better place. I was a dreamer then that was held by certain circumstances in life—but it never stopped me from dreaming.
Today, at 26, I’m in a better place. And I like to think that if 8-year-old Annie could see me now, she’d be beaming with pride—knowing that even if we haven’t fully stepped into our dream of becoming a writer yet, we’re closer than ever. We have the resources, the space, and the courage to finally make it happen. And we are making it happen.
—————-
Annie Collins, 26, is an aspiring writer and poet.
BAI: Poultry products are safe to eat amid bird flu detection | ||
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The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) assured the public that poultry products, such as chicken meat and eggs, are safe for human consumption following the recent detection of a new bird flu subtype in Camarines Sur. In an advisory issued on Monday, May 19, the agency said all collected samples have since tested negative for the virus, confirming that the outbreak has been contained and resolved. Read more |
Past studies show that certain lifestyle factors — such as eating a healthy diet, not smoking, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly — may help lower a person’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
An estimated
“There are no current treatments that cure Alzheimer’s disease,” Marissa A. Gogniat, PhD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, told Medical News Today. “Therefore, modifiable health factors that may prevent Alzheimer’s disease are of great interest and need.”
Gogniat is the lead author of a new study, which says that older adults who spend more time sedentary — such as sitting or lying down — may be at a higher risk for
The findings were recently published in
For this study, researchers analyzed health data from 404 participants of the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project, ages 50 and over.
Study participants were directed to wear an activity-monitoring watch — called a triaxial accelerometer — for 24 hours a day for one week, and were also given neuropsychological assessment and brain MRI scans over a seven-year period.
“We know a lot about the benefits over physical activity as a preventative measure for Alzheimer’s disease and this was my main area of study for most of my career,” Gogniat said.
“I started looking at the 24-hour period of activity and noticed that people also spend a lot of time sitting. I was curious to better understand the independent contribution of sitting to risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” she said.
Upon analysis, researchers found that participants who spent more time being sedentary were at a higher risk for experiencing
“This is significant because the common thought has always been that if you exercise regularly, it doesn’t really matter what else that you do,” Gogniat explained. “This study showed that even after accounting for how physically active people were, sedentary behavior was still predicting cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.”
Additionally, the scientists discovered that these findings were strongest in study participants who carried the
“We examined whether the association between sedentary behavior, brain health, and cognition was impacted by whether someone was an APOE4 carrier,” Gogniat detailed.
“Many of the observed associations linking greater sedentary time with brain health and cognitive outcomes were present in APOE4 carriers, but not in non-carriers, suggesting that increased sedentary [behavior] may be especially harmful for people at increased genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease.”
— Marissa A. Gogniat, PhD
MNT spoke with Constance Katsafanas, DO, neurologist at the Marcus Neuroscience Institute and program director of the Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine’s Neurology Residency Program, about this study.
Katsafanas commented that while the study’s sample size was small, the results suggest that it’s not just activity, but minimizing time spent sitting, that could affect cognition as we age.
“Other studies have looked at similar things before. There are studies about people who are more sedentary having smaller cortical thickness and worse episodic memory, for instance,” she continued.
“But this one looked in a slightly different direction as well, specifically seeing if these effects persisted in the face of the patients having the
weekly physical activity recommended by the CDC — 87% of the patients in this study accomplished the amount and intensity of weekly physical activity recommended by the CDC — so it adds a new angle to the conversation.”
— Constance Katsafanas, DO
“I’d like to see if the results are reproducible, that is, if other studies find similar results,” Katsafanas added. “I’d also like to see studies that track activity vs. time spent sedentary for the duration of the study. This study recorded the level of activity over a week, and the patients were then followed over seven years. I’d like to see the level of activity tracked for the duration of the study.”
For readers who want to learn how to move more and become less sedentary during the day, MNT asked Sanjula Dhillon Singh, MD, PhD, MSc (Oxon), instructor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and principal Investigator of the Brain Care Labs, for her top tips.
“The good news? If sitting too long is a risk factor, it’s one we can do something about. Standing up, moving more, and breaking up long stretches of sitting might be some of the easiest ways to protect your brain as you age.”
— Dhillon Singh, MD, PhD, MSc (Oxon)
Singh said readers don’t need a fancy gym membership to make a difference and offered these simple steps to help lower their daily sedentary time:
“Doctors often ask patients how active they are — but rarely how many hours a day they spend sitting,” Singh said. “This study suggests maybe doctors should be asking both of these questions! Even if you’re hitting your step goals or going to the gym, spending too much of the day sitting may still be quietly harming your brain.”
“There’s actually so much we can do to take good care (of) our brains and lower our risks of developing dementia — especially since about
Auswärtiges Amt warnt vor Glut-Hitze am Mittelmeer
Wegen der tropischen Hitze waren im Sommer 2024 die Strände Athens völlig überfüllt (Archivfoto)
Wer ans Mittelmeer verreisen will, freut sich grundsätzlich über blauen Himmel und Sonnenschein. Doch zu heiß sollte es dann doch nicht werden. Jetzt weist sogar das Auswärtige Amt auf extreme Temperaturen im kommenden Sommer hin.
Betroffen sei unter anderem Griechenland. Hier war es schon vergangenes Jahr viel zu heiß. Und das könnte auch im Sommer 2025 so sein. Aktuell weist das Auswärtige Amt auf die gefährlichen Folgen möglicher Hitzewellen mit Temperaturen über 40 Grad Celsius hin, berichtet „Reisereporter“.
Und schon im März kletterten hier die Temperaturen auf Werte wie sonst im Mai. So war es etwa in Lasithi auf der Insel Kreta am 16. März 33,7 Grad heiß. Gleichzeitig droht eine Wasserknappheit – vor allem auf den Inseln des Landes, so das Auswärtige Amt. Bereits jetzt wurde in einigen Regionen die Nutzung von Trinkwasser für Pools und Gärten verboten.
▶︎ Um sich im Sommer zu schützen, sollten Reisende den Wetterbericht regelmäßig im Auge behalten. Aufenthalte in der Sonne und überfüllte öffentliche Bereiche sollten möglichst gemieden werden, rät das Amt. Bei Spaziergängen und Wanderungen solle man Sonnenschutz, große Mengen Trinkwasser, ein aufgeladenes Smartphone sowie eine zusätzliche aufgeladene Powerbank mit sich führen.
Auch die Mittelmeerinsel Mallorca hat schon jetzt mit Wassermangel zu kämpfen. Hier darf ebenso in einigen Orten für Pools und Gärten kein Trinkwasser mehr genutzt werden. Für die anstehenden, trockenen Sommermonate dürfte es weitere Restriktionen geben.
Und auch im bei deutschen Urlaubern beliebten Italien könnte es im Sommer so heiß werden, dass es zu einem Wassermangel kommen könnte. Das drohe laut Auswärtigem Amt insbesondere in den mittleren und südlichen Teilen des Landes.
Hier ist es ebenfalls wegen mangelndem Regen viel zu trocken. Die italienischen Behörden haben deshalb Dürre-Warnungen für betroffene Regionen ausgegeben und auf der Website der italienischen Umweltbehörde ISPRA veröffentlicht.
Dort wurde für Zentral- und Süditalien sowie für die Insel Sardinien bereits die mittlere Warnstufe für Dürre verhängt. Auf Sizilien herrscht schon jetzt die höchste Alarmstufe.
