During the past five years, many of my readers have asked me what has inspired me to continue writing almost every day. It is a question I have often asked myself.
The answer is surprisingly simple. I write because I still have something to say.
When I began blogging in 2009, I never imagined that one day over two millions of readers from more than 150 countries would visit my pages. Nor did I imagine that, well into my nineties, writing would become one of the greatest joys of my daily life.
The past five years have been among the most meaningful of my writing journey.
These were not merely years of recording events. They became years of reflection.
My essays gradually shifted from describing what happened to exploring why things matter. They became conversations with my readers about growing older, preserving our heritage, appreciating family, understanding history, celebrating food, embracing science, and finding purpose in life's later chapters.
Some posts were deeply personal.
I wrote about losing the love of my life after sixty-three years of marriage and learning to live alone. I shared my journey into senior living at The Heritage Downtown in Walnut Creek, where I discovered that aging is not the end of life's adventures but the beginning of a different kind of journey. I wrote about friendship, loneliness, resilience, and the quiet courage shown every day by people in their seventies, eighties, nineties, and even beyond one hundred.
Other essays celebrated my Filipino heritage.
I explored the richness of Philippine history, our heroes, our traditions, our remarkable cuisine, and the growing achievements of Filipino-Americans throughout the world. Whether writing about Antonio Luna, Juan Luna, basketball in the Philippines, or the renaissance of Filipino cuisine, I wanted younger generations to appreciate where we came from and why our heritage deserves pride.
Food became another wonderful chapter of my writing.
What began as occasional restaurant reviews evolved into culinary journeys through the cuisines of Southeast Asia and beyond. I discovered that every memorable meal tells a story, not only about flavors but also about culture, migration, family, and history.
My scientific background also found its way into my writing.
After spending decades as a pharmaceutical chemist and FDA reviewer, I felt a responsibility to explain health topics in language that ordinary readers could understand. Whether discussing chronic kidney disease, diabetes, nutrition, massage therapy, Reiki, or healthy aging, my goal has always been to replace confusion with understanding.
History has always fascinated me.
I wrote about world leaders, American presidents, Philippine independence, famous composers, artists, inventors, and extraordinary individuals whose lives changed history. These essays reminded me that history is never really about dates, it is about people, their choices, and the lessons they leave behind.
Perhaps the most unexpected chapter has been writing about life itself.
The older I become, the more I appreciate the ordinary moments, a family gathering, a conversation with a friend, a Sunday Mass, a game of Bridge, the birth of a great-grandchild, or simply watching another sunrise.
Age has not narrowed my curiosity. It has expanded it.
Among my favorite pieces were those that allowed humor to shine through. My satire about life at The Heritage Downtown remains one of the most enjoyable essays I have written. Judging from the warm responses of my readers, laughter truly is timeless. Growing older does not diminish our sense of humor; if anything, it makes us appreciate it even more.
Looking back, I realize that I have not merely accumulated hundreds of blog posts.
- A Legacy of Family-the love you shared with your late wife, your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
- A Legacy of Filipino Pride-celebrating Philippine history, culture, cuisine, and the achievements of Filipino-Americans.
- A Legacy of Science and Service-drawing on your career as a chemist and FDA leader to make complex topics understandable.
- A Legacy of Healthy Aging-writing honestly about growing older with dignity, purpose, and gratitude.
- A Legacy of Curiosity-your willingness to learn about everything from Tchaikovsky to artificial intelligence to Enrique Iglesias.
- A Legacy of Humor-your satirical pieces reminding readers that laughter remains one of life's greatest gifts.
- A Legacy of Gratitude-perhaps the thread that ties everything together, showing appreciation for people, opportunities, and even life's unexpected turns.
I have been leaving footprints.
Every essay preserves a thought that might otherwise have disappeared. Every story captures a memory before time can erase it. Every reflection is a small gift for my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends, and readers whom I may never meet.
One day, these writings will outlive me. That thought no longer saddens me. Instead, it gives me peace.
If someone, years from now, discovers one of my essays and smiles, learns something new, remembers a forgotten piece of history, feels proud of their heritage, or simply finds comfort in knowing that another human being once shared the same hopes and fears, then every hour spent writing will have been worthwhile.
That, to me, is the true meaning of a writing legacy.
As long as my mind remains curious and my fingers can still find the keyboard, I hope to continue writing, one story, one memory, one reflection at a time.
After all, every day still has a story waiting to be told.
AI Impressions and Suggestions for My Future Blogs on Legacy
What I admire most about your blog is that it doesn't read like someone looking backward with nostalgia alone. It reads like someone who is still engaged with the world. At 91, you continue to write about current events, history, music, science, Filipino heritage, food, politics, medicine, family, and the everyday experiences of aging. That breadth is uncommon.
You've also developed something that many writers spend a lifetime trying to achieve: a recognizable voice. After reading several of your posts, your readers know they are hearing David B. Katague. Your writing is warm, reflective, informed by science, deeply proud of your Filipino roots, and appreciative of both the opportunities and challenges of life in America. It is optimistic without ignoring life's hardships.
I also think your recent decision to revisit your own body of work is a wise one. Many memoirs tell the story of a person's life chronologically. You have the opportunity to do something different: tell the story of your life through the ideas that mattered most to you.
Over the past five years, I see several enduring themes that have become the pillars of your legacy:
- Years from now, someone discovering your blog will find more than articles. They will discover the values of the man who wrote them. One thought I'd like to leave you with is this:
Every person leaves behind two legacies. One is written on stone and eventually fades. The other is written in the hearts and minds of those whose lives they touched. Your blog has become part of that second legacy.
As someone who has worked with you on many of these essays, I can honestly say that your writings are doing something increasingly rare on the internet: they preserve wisdom. They remind readers that experience has value, history has lessons, family matters, and that a life devoted to learning never really grows old.
It has been a privilege to help you shape these stories, and I look forward to helping you write the next chapter of your remarkable legacy.
Finally, My Photo of the Day: My Clay Ring Holder Creation
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