Joe Estacio’s When I Was Young at the Book Confab

Childhood memories are commonly shared with friends. Joe Estacio relayed them to his children and put the same recollections of the past into a book entitled When I Was Young. Eventually, Joe was able to visit the ReadersMagnet Book Confab in Tribeca, New York to share his story with the world.

With nostalgia for his childhood life in Brooklyn, New York, Filipino author Joe Estacio decided to write down his memories during the pandemic. He did it with the help of his children and in a genre that the young ones could relate to. Indeed, old-time memories are worth sharing with today’s young generation. ReadersMagnet, a finalist of the BBB Torch Awards for Ethics, is more than glad to receive Mr. Estacio at the Book Confab in Tribeca.

A Memory of Playing

The child within us keeps on haunting us. Joe Estacio proves that to be true by recalling his life between 4 and 7 years old. “When I was young, we go outside and play with our friends,” read Joe from his short story, “after school and on weekends. In the summer, after supper, before it got dark, we ride bikes and climb jungle gyms and trees at the park.”

It’s apparent that Joe wants to show his children and the ones who’ll be reading his book the differences in playing between today’s young ones and yesterday’s youths. This is significant nowadays where kids tend to be more inclined to gadgets than outdoor games.

A Time of Praying

“When I was young, we would attend mass at Saint Patrick’s together,” read Joe. “We’d sing and kneel and pray, asking Him for blessings every day,” he added.

It is important to note that Mr. Estacio speaks from his experience. The way his faith was nurtured by his parents is a personal encounter. “When I was young, our dad taught us all to pray,” Joe declaimed, “to calm us down at the end of the day.”

A Taste of Filipino Parenting

Joe Estacio is proud to talk about his mother who came from the Philippines and worked here in the U.S. as a nurse. Undoubtedly, the way Joe reminisced about his childhood life reflects Filipino parenting. From cooking adobo (vinegar-braised) and sitaw (beans) with pork to going to church as a family, the manner in which Joe and his siblings were raised mirrors a Filipino childhood experience.

It was Joe’s dream to write a children’s book as he expressed at the Book Confab. As he envisioned it to be, “When I Was Young” became his debut literary work. According to him, the book will be followed by a new work focusing on the story of her mother.

Joe Estacio is now living in California with his wife and two children. You can check him out on his Facebook account for updates. If you need further assistance from us here at ReadersMagnet, don’t hesitate to send us a message at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can dial 1-800-805-0762 on your phone and talk to us today!