#InAPerfectWorld


“#InAPerfectWorld every opinion carries equal weight. And each opinion, be it amazingly profound or despicably inane must be treated with the same level of respect if only for the fact that the existence of one validates the other.” — RJ Marmol

Yes, I just quoted myself. It could well be taken as brandishing arrogance, but on the contrary, it is a humble display of my humanity.

And you know why? Because each time I set out to write anything and manage to hit “publish”, I submit myself to criticism. It’s like diving in a sea of piranha — you’re injured at best, dead at worst. But I still dive just the same. Maybe because I’m masochistic. Or maybe because I believe that each “dive” amounts to something good for myself or for other people.

That’s what bloggers do. That’s what people on Twitter do. They speak their minds.

There’s a hint of narcissism sometimes, a little ego-stroking on the side. But that’s what 21st century living has become. This is what “media” has become. Everyone is an instant pundit, stylist, guru or what-have-you’s.

So when people who were ‘born’ pre-Twitter mock or worse, question a person’s right to air his/her opinion over Facebook, Twitter or his/her own blogsite, I think those people need to seriously reconsider their position on the subject.

The online community don’t just gang-up on a certain person or group of people on a whim. In fact, unbelievable as it may seem, it is easier to organize a ‘protest’ in the ‘real world’ than it is to organize a ‘hate’ campaign online. And that’s because those online know very well that doing so exposes them to a more traceable liability. When you ‘tweet’ or post a Facebook update, it is traceable to you and you alone. Whereas if you join a group of people marching in the streets of Mendiola, that ‘protest’ is traceable to a certain ‘group’. In business analogy, it’s like single proprietorship vs. corporation.

If your company/group is drawing flak from the online community, one thing is for sure then, whatever it is that you’ve done has created a personal impression on each netizen. And at such huge numbers and immense personal impact that it appears to be an organized attack towards you.

So instead of attacking people’s opinion and belittling the ‘weight’ of their opinions, it is best to show them incontestable proof of one’s innocence the best way possible. They have a term for it — sweet revenge.

Let’s be thankful then that this isn’t exactly a perfect world because we don’t have to live with each other’s assumed profundity and live in constant denial of the existence of our inanities. We have each other’s opinion to keep ourselves in check.

Let me know what you think… :)

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About Me
Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera Marmol aka RJ Marmol profile picture

I’m RJ Marmol — writer, musician, and independent creator based in Manila.

I write songs, essays, and books about the messy overlap between money, overwhelm, creativity, identity, and rebuilding. Much of my work circles around what happens when life stops feeling manageable — and how we try to think clearly, make decisions, and keep moving anyway.

I’m also the author of Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur, a nonfiction book published under Steady Hand Press. The paperback edition is listed under my full publishing name, Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera.

On the music side, I release work as HeyRJ. On the writing side, this site is where I gather my books, essays, notes, and whatever I’m building next.

Music

HeyRJ is my sonic soul project. I create raw, minimalist-style and deeply personal music interpretations that feel like a late-night conversation with your truest self.

By blending lo-fi acoustic textures with poetic honesty, my work explores love, loss, grief, healing, and the quiet in-betweens of life. Each song is a letter — a journal entry — a gentle companion for when the world feels too loud or too quiet.

While my catalogue began with intimate cover renditions, my work is increasingly being shaped by original writing, drawing from years of poems, lived questions, and emotional survival.

“Stuck Home Syndrome” released on March 20, 2026 is my first original 20-track album written during a period when time felt compressed and days began to blur into each other. The songs came from sitting with thoughts that had nowhere else to go — unfiltered, repetitive, and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s a concept album that isn’t built around singles or polish. It’s closer to a continuous inner monologue, recorded with minimal production and very little ornamentation and meant to be listened to as one cohesive body of work. The goal wasn’t to resolve anything, only to document how it felt while it was happening.

On May 29, 2026 I released new original singles – “Rapturous”, “Uh Huh”, “Look At You”, “All That” and “Blew Print”. I continue to release both original and cover songs and intend to so for as long as I can so check back every once in a while — you might. just find something you’ll like.

For business inquiries relating to music, email me at: heyrjmusic[at]gmail[dot]com or my personal email at: rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com.

Books

Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur

A nonfiction book about what debt does to the mind — and how to begin functioning again when financial stress has made everything feel blurred, urgent, and overwhelming.

Rather than treating debt only as a financial math problem, the book explores the emotional and cognitive realities of financial distress: shame, decision fatigue, avoidance, panic, relationship strain, and the difficulty of making sound decisions while mentally depleted.

Published under Steady Hand Press. It’s available worldwide in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon. Bookstores and libraries can also be order it wholesale via Ingram.

Contact

For book-related inquiries, media requests, bookstore questions, or discussion-group invitations, you can reach me through the contact page on this site or send me an email to rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com or hello[at]steadyhandpress.com