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Alo! Greetings!

This is Quem Rona Lojera's blog.

12 - GAGNE

Creative Non-Fiction

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

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Always With Him

On the 28th of December, year 2003 my mother went into labor, and after hours of contractions and pushing, I finally was born. I grew up to be loved by a lot of people, but my grandfather loved me the most. My grandfather raised me when my mother had to leave to work for my needs. My mom conceived me at the ripe age of 19, it surely wasn’t easy for her. But she did everything in her power to make it through and make ends meet. Even though we didn’t have much, my family made sure that I still got to have all the best things whilst growing up. My mother supported me with all my hobbies and school activities. She and my aunt were my vocal coaches who trained me for singing competitions. My mother did all of that alone, without any paternal support from my biological father.

When my mother found someone who she'd open up her heart to, she was happy. He accepted me and treated me as his own. He is the only man who I love and consider as my father. He isn't in any way related to me, but he's the one who stood up for me. My childhood wasn’t perfect but there are a lot of moments which completes it. As I reminisce on memory lane, I could recall one of my favorite moments as a child. A cloudy, windy day up at the magnificent twin lakes, my absolute favorite place to go, and I guess it’s my father’s and sister’s too. As we go on full stop, my father backs up our car and parks the car. My sister and I wait for him to unlock the doors before we could jump out, We help him out with our packed food and tents. As he’s talking with the staff of the area about our accommodations, me and my sister set up the picnic blankets and the food. My father comes back with three bottles of soda, we then ask our father to help us fly our kites because it was really windy.

As the day passed, we got tired so our father called us to eat. We shared a nice meal together. After eating we rested for a while to let the food digest. In a while, we were running all over the place again. At the end of our picnic "slash" playdate, we went to the main lake and rented a boat to row around the lake. My father took photos of us with his digital camera, he also sang us some of his German songs which his mother  used to sing to him as a child. Watching the sunset made up our day so we rowed back to the shore and drove back home. 

━ Autobiography

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Bunny Hops

This is the story of how my good friend Hana, hopped into this sensational dimension. Hanah Mae Reasol Del Rosario was born on March 9th of 2004, a lovely Tuesday it was. She grew up to be very fond of pretty whimsical things and nature. People around her call her by different nicknames such as Han, Hannie or Bunny. She enjoys her free time by being artsy and artistic. Knowing how to play various instruments, she also loves painting too, and happens to read lots of books as well. She loves to talk about the concept of life, happenings in society, and also is highly interested in Psychology. Hana loves life, she speaks in a very bright and positive way, she is one of the sweetest and nicest people to ever exist. She is a very talented person. One of her many talents is singing, she has this soft, buttery tone that sounds like a beautiful lullaby brought in by a cool, evening breeze. Besides that, she is also an aspiring photographer, she usually snaps photos of her daily life or portraits of people. Next to that is she also cooks, cooking is one deliciously unique way of hers to show that she adores someone. She is very passionate in making scrumptious meals for her loved ones. It is astounding how great of a person this woman is. Hana is like an old soul trapped in a youthful body. 

     Hana and Quem became friends on Facebook in 2020, Quem decided to initiate an interaction between them by striking up a conversation that led to them meeting up in person. The two instantly clicked after seeing how many similarities they shared. Hana has always been very aesthetically pleasing and beautiful to Quem. Quem adores Hana very much. She loved how unrealistically beautiful Hana was. Plus, Hana’s fashion sense and makeup skills were really impressive. As Hana had a lot of hobbies, one was making beaded jewelry. It was a big trend back then, Quem liked her hand-made necklaces and decided to purchase one for herself. The two then agreed to meet up at a mall to pick up the necklace. After meeting each other and giving one another warm hugs, the two immediately became good friends. They tirelessly played at an arcade, read for a bit in the bookshop, and continued to roam around the mall whilst chatting. 

Even when they lived quite far from each other, that didn’t stop them from being friends. They chatted and occasionally called, supported each other, and helped one another grow into better people. They gave each other nicknames, Quem called Hana, “Bunny", and Hana called Quem “BMO”. The reason behind why they chose the names made them giggle. The reason why Quem calls Hana “Bunny” is because of Hana’s bunny-like teeth. Hana calls Quem “BMO”, because she likes this animated series called “Adventure Time” and thinks Quem matches BMO’s energy. Time passes by and they still are talking to each other. Quem introduced her best friend Mia to Hana. The three of them became good friends who hype each other up on social media. 

      Eventually, their trio adds another girl and in time, they all agree to have a first girl's picnic date. They all dress up nicely and prepare their picnic basket. Mia and Quem brought cookies and muffins. Owen brought sparkling water and soda. Hana brought fish chips and the picnic blanket they’ll be using.  They felt excited and giddy upon seeing each other in person. They had a great time, taking photos and silly Tiktok videos, eating their snacks and just talking about life, which Hana had a lot to share. Hana expressed how happy she is about their first date and told them she’d love to hang out with them soon again after the picnic. After going home they all sent the photos they took in their group chat. All of them slept with smiles and the yearning feeling of seeing each other again.

━ Biography

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Tropical Vacation

It was a hot day, peak summer in the province of Sebaste, Antique. My cousins and I went trekking up the mountains of Igpatuyaw to swim at Igpasungaw falls. This trip has been on our bucket list for a long time. The preparations and planning we’ve been doing were all worth it, seeing how energized and motivated we all are. The Igpasungaw falls is one of the many tourist attractions that could be found in the area. Consisting of 7 natural pools that leaves tourists and locals in awe.

The hike was definitely not easy for me. My cousins on the other hand, grew up in the province so for them they think it's as easy as breathing. At first, I was okay, and then I suddenly felt my legs starting to give up on me. My cousins had to push me forward because I couldn’t handle the climb. We had to climb through huge boulders and cross streams, it was taking a toll on my physical endurance. I was never athletic to begin with. It took us about an hour or two to reach the top of the waterfalls, the view was intensely immaculate. Seeing the beauty of nature kind of relieved the exhaustion I was feeling, it felt rewarding to make it to the top. We spent the whole afternoon bonding. We ate, swam, chatted and laughed. When the sun set, we decided to go back home. We carefully walked down the trail. Going down was definitely easier than going up. At home were our families waiting for us. At the dinner table, my cousins and I were already planning for our next trip. My cousin, Hanna, wanted to take us to her father’s hometown, a small island called Caluya. It’s where her father’s side of the family lives. The next day we immediately got ready for the trip, we washed our clothes and hung them to dry. We then packed necessities. Clothes, sanitary items, foot wear, money and courage. It was another hot day in the town of Sebaste. The branches of trees were dancing along with the wind. The faint flowing sound of the water in the river could be heard alongside the quacking of the ducks and the clucking of the chickens.

I gave my grandma’s home one last quick look before leaving. We rode a tricycle down the mountain, then we waited for the bus at the bus stop. A lot of unfamiliar faces were greeting us, I didn’t grow up in the province. It’s just a small, organized town, which is why everyone knows each other. My family clan has been living in the area for decades, they are considered as one of the oldest clans. When the bus arrived, the conductor helped us put our bags in the trunk. The view was very pleasing to look at, but the journey was very unpleasant. The thing about our province is that the roads are undeveloped which is why road trips don’t run smoothly, accidents happen at times. Once the conductor announced that we were at the port, I quickly sprinted out the bus to throw up. We then grabbed our bags and hired a tricycle driver to take us to the town proper. Reaching the town proper, we met with my cousin’s father. We rode another tricycle to his friend’s house, where we ate lunch and rested for a bit.

━ Personal Narrative

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Baseball Glee

After reading his personal narrative, I have come to realise that he loves playing baseball a lot. Most boys prefer basketball, but he likes baseball. Oddly attractive, as I am into people who plays baseball too. It was both his passion and his hobby. The interest he has in this sport, if I would describe it feels like a lion stalking its prey; overwhelmingly large. I can see that Ryan is very strong-willed about his interests. He isn't afraid to put effort into getting what he wants. A risk-taker, that's what he is. I'm glad to know him because there are only a few men that I know who have goals in life, whether it be long-term goals or not.

It must have been difficult enduring all the hard training and conditioning to be able to be in great shape for the competition. But the pressure, exhaustion and worries proved to be all worth it anyway. It just saddens me that as of the moment, Ryan does not have the same keenness for the said sport as he did in the past. Although his interests have changed, it won't change the fact that his experience as a baseball player shaped him into the man he is today. It also has changed him in a lot of ways, good and bad. But he wouldn't want it in any other way. The experience has teached him plenty of lessons in life, which he still applies in his daily life as a young adult.

To have this much passion for a sport, I could not really myself getting into. I'm not the most athletic or physically strong person ever. But I could compare his enthusiasm for playing with my passion and love for writing stories and poetry. Both are equally hard and need lots of practice and conditioning to master.

━ Reaction to a Personal Narrative

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Adolescence & Innocence

Getting older wasn’t really a big deal to me back then, but now as I am reaching adulthood, I keep on having regrets about the opportunities I’ve missed; the great potential I had. I wish I could easily turn back time and become a child again. I would like to live again and do the things I should have done, I would stand up for myself.

The little kid did not deserve all those mistreatments she experienced. Young Quem was supposed to be reaching for the skies. I’ve experienced a lot of things normal kids would dread of hearing. And I would never wish for it to happen to others, not even to my worst enemies. The negativity I had back then in my life was a lot because of the toxic environment I was living in, and also because of what I have gone through. I never thought that I would live past eighteen, but here I am, alive and kicking! Barely though. If there is one thing my experience has taught me, it is for sure that life certainly is not rainbows and cupcakes. It is far from the lives of people that I see in T.V shows and what I have read from countless books. But it sure does teach you an awful lot of lessons, which will help you be either the best version of yourself or the worst. Life teaches you how to be compassionate, to have a great sense of humility, to be understanding, to have empathy for other including yourself. It also teaches us that is is absolutely fine to take a break sometimes, and that it’s okay to not be okay. The most important one though, is to always be kind to everyone as we do not have any ideas of the hardships others may be going through.

Childhood is not easy, but so is adolescence and adulthood. But that’s life, it throws a bunch of curveballs your way, you eventually just have to learn how to dodge them effectively and transform them into turntables. As your childhood withers away, you lose your innocence, but you gain more knowledge of how the world works. It works wonders, you just have to be lucky enough to claim it yours.

━ Reflective Essay

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Family

           It is said that a family is a group of two or more persons that are related by birth, marriage, adoption or it could be altogether. Family are the people you have been with ever since you were born, conscious, or since you started to remember things. They say family is blood, that they are your descendants from one common ancestor. 

            But to me, family could mean a lot of things. It has an unending spread of definitions. When I was born into this world, that was the time I had my own blood family, but as I grow older, I step into the world and realise family isn’t only cut to one whole blood bond. The version of me right now has tons of families. Family who took me in when I was abandoned as a child, my family of childhood friends who stood with me whilst I was handling my battles as a child. As I grew older and learned more about the world and the meaning of what family truly is, I then found love and care from my new peers who then soon become my friend circle. I had people who knew about the physical pain I was in when my own mother had no clue. People who gave their all to take care of me when I was feeling like my world was falling apart. I kept on staggering and stumbling back and forth around the world, constantly reliving my routines and then I took a step back where by that crumbling moment, I met my best friend. 

       The woman who became my wall, foundation and my salvation. My comfort from the world, my headphones from the voices living in my head. She never left, she became my permanent family. She is family. That is what family means to me. Family means having someone to love you unconditionally in spite of you and your shortcomings. Family is loving and supporting one another even when it’s not easy to do so. It’s being the best person you could be so that you may inspire your loved ones. Family doesn’t see colour, race, creed not culture, but it sees heart. It sees you for who you truly are. Family isn’t always about being connected biologically, because it understands that other things, beliefs and influences bind us. Family is unrelenting, it’s secure and reliable. Family isn’t just important, it’s what is most important!

━ Definition Essay

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Hi, You

His eyes hold two deep pools, one a lagoon, and one a lake. Through his eyes I could see how much of an important human being I am. He makes me take a step back and reflect on my decisions just with his observations of me. I feel safe through his eyes, never any judgement. He isn't like any of the male population of today. He observes, he eyes a human like how an eagle would eye its prey; a tiny mouse. Owen expresses a lot through his eyes, although he is also a bit chatty. I also like how smart he is, whether it may be academically or street-wise. Owen listens and he also empathizes. He has always been one of my comfort persons, he may not know it, but he sure is. 

From the first time we met on that social platform, he has always been nice. Not only do I like his eyes, but also his smart mouth too; which could be a tad bit sassy at times also. He knows what to say in times I need real guidance, he knows how and when to throw a joke. He knows how to zip his mouth when none of his words are needed in a conversation. Owen is just simply a blue and cheery soul. I used to like him, because of his silliness and enthusiasm in sharing teeny parts of his everyday life. We have known each other for a year now, it’s crazy how time flies. And how in that span of time, he hasn’t changed a bit. He still is the same old sassy Owen I know. 

The first words that came out of his mouth when he met me was “Hi, You.” I felt my cheeks redden and my breathing become unstable. I never was good at communicating or socializing with other people, even up till now. I was scared that he would skip me because I was totally awkward, but he seemed to like that awkwardness, as he continued to talk to me. Owen will always be that person whom I may have only seen once, not even in real life but: on camera; but I would always trust him when I need a person to lean on.

━ Facial Recognition

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Field Trip

I am a student who is also an aspiring traveler. I would like to journey to places beyond compare. Here on this trip of mine, I have found out about a lot of new places and lots of information about these places. Beautiful and fresh landscapes. Whilst traveling, I have learned a lot of lessons that I will always treasure, I have learned their histories, and also have made new friends and got to know more people in the process. Traveling is a terrific thing, it gives a certain rush to people.

On the 18th day of March, 2023. On a Saturday morning at 2:32 AM, I was already up and about getting ready for our school field trip. I prepared all the things I was gonna bring with me, including all the miscellaneous snacks and drinks my mom and sister bought for me, the day before the trip. The whole school has agreed on a call time so that all of us could arrive on time to our destinations and savor the moments and hours we have for each travel destination.

Our travel guide called “Kuya Cong” called for our attention and announced that our first destination and stopover was going to be Aguinaldo Shrine. While we're driving on our way there, our travel guide was briefly explaining his ground rules and also the regulations that we are obliged to follow for our trip to go smoothly. When the bus stopped we all collectively fixed our bags and wore our ID’s. While we were in line, our adviser reminded us to go in one group and to make sure no one was separated from our travel group. She also told us to be extra careful of our belongings and to not forget what our bus number was. While walking around the park, we snapped group photos and joined elders who were zumba dancing. After that we retreated to our bus and took a rest because we were about to enter Emilio Aguinaldo’s house in a few minutes. 

At our next destination ‘El Deposito’ and ‘Museo ng Katipunan’ we were told to wait for half an hour since other schools came before us. Upon entering the premises, we listened to the person who was narrating Andres Bonifacio’s achievements and how he fought for our country. We then walked to the adjacent building next to the museum, while walking down the stairs I started to get a whiff of the unpleasant smell of the water reservoir. I did my research of the place and found out that it apparently got contaminated explaining the foul smell. After that we drove off and only got to drive on the streets of Intramuros, there was not much time left so we did not get to enter the local tourist spot. 

At our last destination, Star City, we patiently waited in line to get inside the said amusement park. We then rode different rides that fed our need for adrenaline. After that, we entered different fun houses and informational exhibits. For our final ride, we rode the ferris wheel to see the beauty of the sun setting. We took photos and sang on top of the ferris wheel. We also expressed how memorable the day was for us. 

━ Travelogue

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Battles I’ve Conquered

         We all know that trying to figure out what your purpose in life while barely surviving it is draining; mentally, physically and emotionally. I may not have a lot of achievements but I still have a few which I could proudly brag about. All those achievements I have accomplished are part of the life that I want, which is what I am slowly building for me. All of these are a part of who I am.

          People may and of course, will, doubt you and put pressure on you by having such high expectations of you. But nonetheless, you must not let it drag you down, and instead, you should use it as a motivation to do better, to be the best version of yourself. I have proven that I, myself, am worthy of love. I have proven that I could do things on my own. I have proven that I am capable of conquering my traumas; that I am able to leave it in the past and move on forward in life. But one thing about traumas, you never move on from them, you just learn how to grow around it, how to live with it. You learn more techniques on how to cope. The important thing to keep in mind is that you are trying your absolute best. To get by each day without having to relive the past, but to live in the present and to focus on what will happen in the future. To carefully think about your decisions. 

My testimony is that I, Quem, have proven that I am human and humane. And I have learned that I should not bother myself overthinking what others may think of me. We are all just small components of the universe, particles even. We should think of more important things, such as how to give out more love and respect to the world. How to preserve our planet, how to maintain healthy relationships with the people in our lives. How to make life easier or at least bearable for all of us. The world is a cruel place, that I know and that, I could prove. Which is why, all of us should think of more sustainable and innovative ways on how to live. That way, people would not be packing such problems regarding their health. And so each and every single one of us would not be left out. 

━ Testimonies

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Anne With An E

Anne With an E, originally called "Anne of Green Gables" is a series of books by author Lucy Maud Montgomery. The book series consists of 8 volumes. It is about the life of an orphan named 'Anne Shirley' who was mistakenly shipped to two elderly siblings who were looking for someone who would be able to help them around their farm; preferably a boy. It was written in 1908. It rose up to fame throughout the years and earned a lot of requests for adaptations on television series. The novel remains as a classic children's novel ever since the 20th century. It is still up to this day being read out to kids as a bedtime story because of the wonderfulness of its storyline.

The work, a sentimental but charming coming of age story about a kindred spirited and unconventional orphan girl who finds a home with elderly siblings, became a classic children's literature and led to several sequels which is why it ended up having 8 books. Matthew Cuthbert and his older sister, Marilla, live in Avonlea on Canada's Prince Edward Island. Because they badly need help around their farm, due to Matthew's health problems and old age. Their farm is a wide land called Green Gables. They sent word about applying to adopt a boy from an orphanage. By mistake, however a red-haired, freckled-faced, 11 year old girl named Anne Shirley was sent to the siblings. While Matthew instantly was charmed by Anne because of her wits, Marilla is unsure about keeping her. However, the cheerful and highly imaginative Anne gradually transforms the joyless lives of the so-ever shy Matthew and the prim Marilla, and they come to view her as their own daughter.

Anne of Green Gables was inspired by a newspaper story, and the lovely author Montgomery infused the work with her own girlhood experiences and the rural life and traditions of Prince Edward Island. Although the novel was initially rejected by several publishers, the novel was a huge success upon publication. Mark Twain called Anne “the most lovable child in fiction”. Anne of Green Gables was adapted for film, stage, and television. Although Montgomery was not interested in continuing the story, she eventually wrote several sequels that traced Anne’s life from girlhood to motherhood. However, they were less popular than the original novel.

━ Literary Journalism

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Once I Reconnect Again With Nature

I am Quem Rona Lojera, born on December 28, 2003 and had presumably died at age 93. I assume that by this time, I am buried within a pod of trees or maybe surrounded by a field of flowers. I do not want to be buried inside of a casket. I want to reconnect with nature. From where we came is where we shall come back. The life that I have been wanting to experience, surely, I have made it come true to life for me. By any means, I know that the young me would have done anything for me to achieve it.

All my life, I have been trying to make ends meet. Not in a literal way like most people would understand and interpret how that phrase goes.. "Making ends meet" ━ by trying to survive throughout the whole day without sabotaging things for me. I have struggled, but I have conquered as well. On the last page of my life, I still strongly believe that I would be around even after death. A piece of me for sure is scattered everywhere. From the fragment of my smile that the people around me wear, to the fur of my animals that people love to play with flair. A piece of me that the ground nurtures and cares for, to the roots growing through my hair that blossoms. I flow with the air. Passion and fairness, still what I want and aim to pursue, I know that the people who were around me apply it in their life, too.

Though I may have passed, deep in my heart and membrane, I know that a part of me will forever last. The people would remember me as the woman who wanted to pass peacefully or by laughing hysterically. I would leave this earth knowing that the world has catered to me through thick and thin. And knowing that for every ounce of knowledge I have kept and owned, sure, life was and will never be fair. But of course it never is, even for the rich ambassadors and the farmers planting in the prairie. Everyone rich or poor, whether they are happy or sad; still eventually will reconnect with nature, where every little thing started its course and began.

━ Self Obituary

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On the days where I, myself couldn't bare to hold or understand me, I just wish you'd do it for me.

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I was on the verge of ending my life and he saved me. He isn't my cure... but he's my deliverance.

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I am at my wits end.

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Me And My Father

Back when life was happy, well at least it was for me, my father and I did so many things. Actually, he isn't my biological father, but he was the one who stood up for me when my actual father left after finding out that he got my mom pregnant. That's why even if we don't share the same blood I will always consider him as my only father. To him, I am one of his treasures, his little egg that he always handles with love, gentleness and care. My father has never raised his hand at me. He's a big man; well that's already given as he's a foreigner, a German. He's like the Acacia tree near our home, standing tall and proud with his 6'4 height. He built our house the way he thinks would suit well for me and my sister, our house has withstood every calamity that has come our way whether that be an earthquake or a strong typhoon. I spent my childhood doing everything with him, I helped him when he baked yummy treats, when he cooked food, when we go out for groceries or the local market to shop for fresh goods. Whenever we brushed our teeth after waking up in the morning or before going to bed at night. My father was very thoughtful and always thought of our sake on how we'd enjoy our childhood to the fullest. He built a pool that's 6ft deep for us to play and splash around in. I swam everyday in that pool for 6 years, that's how I earned my bronze skin that has been damaged by all the sun exposure and chlorine. Every time he was in the pool with us we had to be cautious not to wet his hair because he didn't want the chemicals in the pool to damage his beautiful soft golden curls. Yet every once or thrice a month, he makes sure that he plays with us in the water, he dives with us and lets us get on his back. We take trips annually to resorts or lakes, we go to different cities to buy fresh fruit for breakfast and also to serve us our snacks whenever we craved for it. We eat at nice restaurants and we also enjoy hiking a lot. He made sure that we were living our best lives by letting us experience a lot of things (good ones, of course) while we were younger. I was happy like a cat having her daily sunbathe. He got me a puppy which I chose to name Felix, who became my best friend, he was the bestest boy ever. On my birthdays or whenever there are special occasions like when I get perfect or good results on exams or any school activity, he would surprise us with sweets or cakes he baked himself, he'd also surprise us by fetching us from school and taking us straight to the mall to get an item of our desire whatever it was; clothes, new bags or toys. He teaches us how to speak and write properly in German. Although I can't remember much of it anymore because it has been a decade since I've stopped speaking or practicing the language. On Christmas he prepares gifts for us while we're still dozing off in bed. He likes flowers so I always pick up lovely, wild flowers for him. He taught me most of the things that I know today. He taught me how to cycle, swim, bake bread, how to identify what part of meat to buy at the butcher's shop and the most important thing is that he taught me how to stay away from strangers and old people especially men. I love my father even though he wasn't perfect, of course there were shortcomings and a few mistakes, but I still love him. I hope he forgives me if I did anything wrong and I hope that he knows how much he meant to me and what I've been through now that he's watching over me from afar. Thanking him will never be enough for everything he's done for me.

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An unexpected friend, who came along the way when I was in need of someone who'd care enough to listen.