Truthful Humanity

This article is something very personal and yet very universal in a sense that it is a constant thing in all walks of life in this unpredictable world.

I've been thinking on what is really  truthful humanity. The phrase itself is such a big word, that you can’t even think of a concrete answer in an instant if you were asked ‘what is truthful humanity’. Agree? However, as I think harder, the real essence of truthful humanity is that, it is very simple. No matter how big the word these words are, it will still boil down to the one and only rule for mankind, (if you will ask me) The Golden Rule. What is the Golden Rule? It states that “One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.”

Very simple right? Yet very hard to follow. In life, everything will run as smooth as silk if we follow the basic rules. We will never go wrong if we follow the Golden Rule. The moment that we realize all the things that had happened in our lives turned to crap, I’m sure that regrets will bombard you as hell. If only that you have done it the right way. But I guess it is never too late. As long as we live, we are still on the clock. All we have to do is think of the things that could have saved our relationships, might have make4 us graduate on time, or might have made us better persons. I am certain that each of us has heart that only needs to be pushed a little.

The Golden Rule is an example that will make us humane. Really humane. If we are humane, we might get the chance to know what the real meaning of humanity is. I have pointers here that I think could help you be humane enough to fulfill your role of exercising truthful humanity.

1st Rule, Don’t ever forget the Magic Words.

               Learning to say thank Pleas and Thank you won’t hurt you. Regardless of how little or how big your favor is, just say it.  Even in the restaurants, to waiters, when they take your order, or for asking a glass of water. You might say that they are getting paid to that but hey, if you are their shoes, how would you feel if someone asks something from you and then turns their back after getting what they want, how would it feel like? It’s not good right?

Especially the people who are doing favors for you without asking for anything in return, a simple thank you could really make their day. Be generous enough to say these magic words for it is one way of showing them that you care.

2nd Rule, Count and Share your Blessings.

                Every morning as you wake up, thank God for the day that He has given unto you. Every day is new beginning, a new day to start to be better than you are yesterday. Keep in mind that you have the blessing that someone in the other part of the world doesn’t have.  Think of simple ways on how you can share this to those within your reach. Giving your old pairs of pants to a friend who you know does not have that much is something right? By just showing a simple kind of kindness to your neighbor is something that would make you smile at night when you go to bed. You would tell yourself that, you have done something good in a day.

3rd Rule, Respect, even the unrespectable.

                Respect the gift of life, respect the people around you, and respect those who may seem 

unrespectable. Always bear in mind that we are all creations of God, so therefore, it is our obligation to respect one another even if others are not, cannot, and will not. No matter whatever walk of life they come from, treat them fairly. Never give biased judgment based on what your naked eyes can see. “As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.” This is a line from my favorite poem, Desiderata. It is not being plastic or hypocrite. It is just that you are an educated person, you are loved, you are ought to love no matter what happens. It is just being diplomatic.

               

These three rules that I have given you are but a fraction of what we are really capable of meeting what the role of a human who exercises truthful humanity. However, these words that I have written here are all fruits of my pragmatic knowledge on how people should in accordance to what the society require us. If we just follow the very basic rule as I have said earlier, The Golden Rule, will certainly make us live harmoniously as possible with others as what we are ought to.

                Peace, love and harmony. This is what my best friend always says. And I guess this what truthful humanity is all about.

               

Love Under the Rain

I am the kind of person that does not love rain. Yes, when I was just a kid I tend to love bathing under the rain along with my siblings but, as I grow up, it changed. Every time it rains I feel really blue. 

Some say that they love rain because it is nice to sleep when it’s raining but not me. I feel sad when it’s raining at night. Especially when I’m alone, I feel afraid. Well, that’s not what I am going to tell you this time. This article is about living from the past. I had an intro about rain because my topic is about my favorite drama series now is entitled, “Love Rain”.

At first, I wonder why my Mom is shuddering and keeps on watching it over and over again. I got curious so I watched it myself. Now I know. It is really one of a kind story. it is a love story of the past that was never given an opportunity to flourish.

Love Rain focuses on the romance between the offspring of two estranged lovers. Typical plot, right? I was surprised that they dedicated a good chunk of the whole series to the backstory, actually.

We are introduced to the introverted In Ha, an art student who’s very skilled at painting. In just three seconds, he falls in love with Yon Hee as he passes by her in the school grounds. Ever since then, he attempts to get to know her. He even went as far as grabbing an old umbrella from a storage room just so he could share it with Yon Hee during a rainy day.

Though I do not believe in love at first sight, I wasn’t repulsed at the admiration that In Ha had for Yon Hee. This is probably because he was too shy to actually voice out his feelings for her. He was so slow to the point that you’d get frustrated at the way he allows his bestfriend, Don Wook, to steal the apple of his eye away from him.

In Ha watches quietly in the background as Yon Hee and Don Wook get closer and closer. Eventually though, conflict arises the moment In Ha and Yon Hee realize that their feelings are actually mutual. They leave their town to be together, then go home to face the mess. Unfortunately, their budding relationship is cut short when fate gets in the way. Yon Hee develops tuberculosis while In Ha gets arrested thanks to his roommate and friend. They never saw each other after all of that.

30 years later, by chance or maybe even fate, their offspring bump into each other during a trip to Japan. Ha Na, unlike Yon Hee, is perky and cheerful. Joon, unlike his father, is cold and infamous for being a playboy. After Ha Na accidentally loses her phone to Joon, their lives are eventually entwined. Also, during a rainy day in Korea, their parents finally reunite after so many years apart. The situation between the two couples is the main conflict in the story.

First of all, the back story is what really got me into the series. Although it’s a given that In Ha and Yon Hee would not end up together, it was still heartbreaking to see them torn apart by fate. The first five or so episodes are dedicated to their history and, for some reason, I enjoyed it more than the whole series itself. I fell in love with the 1970’s couple and it took some time for me to adjust to the present timeline.

The backstory contains more drama than the present timeline. The latter tends to be really light-hearted and sometimes, it feels like a romcom. Everything was thrilling when I was waiting for the moment that the two couples would find out about their complex predicament. After that, the series became a bit boring. I watched until the end to see how In Ha and Yon Hee’s story would unfold. I really wanted them to get together more than Ha Na and Joon.

Overall, I’m glad I watched it mostly because of the story between In Ha and Yon Hee. Their love is just so beautiful. They didn’t see each other for 30 years yet they still couldn’t forget about their first love. The scene above is probably my favorite. While crossing the street, In Ha notices Yon Hee. He’s in shock, but he rushed through the streets under the pouring rain just to make sure that it was her. This time, it was Yon Hee who offered to share her umbrella with him. It just made me feel all mushy inside.

Though their love story didn’t have a happy ending, they did one very heart breaking decision; to give way for the happiness of their children. It is clearly a reminder that if you have let go of the past once, it is a 50-50 chance of getting it right the next time.

My Anti-Stress Formula

Stress. The word that I think no one can ever get rid of nowadays; especially busy and very active people. Everyone does seem clamoring about it. “I’m stressed!” that’s what you can often hear from students. So, what is stress?

Stress is made up of many things: It is a family of related experiences, pathways, responses and outcomes caused by a range of different events or circumstances. Different people experience different aspects and identify with different definitions.

 Anything that poses a challenge or a threat to our well-being is a stress. Some stresses get you going and they are good for you - without any stress at all many say our lives would be boring and would probably feel pointless. I guess stress for me is that stress is not necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is detrimental.  So therefore, what we must do is learn on some ways on how to manage stress, and how are we able to take it as positive as possible. Why is it that we are experiencing stress? That’s because we are alive. A lot of causes of stress; best examples are family issues, relationship challenges, school stuff, and mainly personal finances. Yet all these things are normal. Stress is normal. 

I may not be very good at this but allow me to give you some of my knowledge on how to manage and maybe relieve stress for that matter. For I once experienced a death defying circumstance of being so stressed out. And I tell you, that is not a pretty good sight.

No.1. Take a break. 

Learn how to take a pause. No matter how important what you are doing, always remember that your health is a precious wealth. And no one can ever give you that good health but yourself. Take a minute to breathe and to clear your mind. Listen to your favorite song or watch a delightful movie. Take time to stroll around the mall. Go to the beach, and watch the waves as it soothes your eyes. Look at some green plants, some trees, and flowers. They absorb the negative elements from your body. Or try to call some close friends, have some beer and unwind for a little while. Relax, go to your favorite spa and have soothing massage. Enjoy the moment. With this, you can have an ample time cleansing your body from the unwanted things. 

No.2. Manage your time properly.

If you want something done right away, avoid doing thing things you don’t have to do. You know for you yourself know what are things that are important, less important and are not important. Avoid wasting your time on unnecessary things. Try cleaning up your calendar of activities. Learn to prioritize. Make a list of things that should be done now, later and tomorrow. But don’t exhaust yourself too much. Just do what you can for today. Overloading things is never a good idea. First thing’s first. Be systematic. With this, you can organize your mind and will make you avoid cramming.

No.3. Switch on your social life. 

Talk to someone. Don’t keep all that stuff inside you. Connect to people. Have a chat with friends. Tell them your what’s happening in your life now. Go to your mom, and tell her about your job, about you hot office mate and that annoying suitor of yours, or those stupid things which are happening in school. Let it all out. Share them your problems. It will surely take away a lot of baggage in there. 

No.4. Take care of your body. 

You are not superman. Have a well-balanced diet. Eat what’s best for you. You are not a kid anymore for someone to tell you what is good or bad. Take a rest. Don’t abuse your body. Sleep if you have time. Don’t over expose yourself with alcohol and smoke. This will ruin your healthy lifestyle. Exercise regularly. Go to the gym if you want. Be athletic. Engage in some sports. Learn to be physically active sometimes. This will make you more alert and energetic and will keep you away from sickness. This will also help you think well, and be less worrisome.

No. 5. Think positive. 

Forget all the bad vibes. Keep in mind that everything has a purpose and everything happens for the best. Bear in mind that God has a mighty plan for allowing things to happen. Don’t forget to pray. Do not leave your religious life unattended. Nourish your spirit by going to church, reading the Bible or just simply praying before going to sleep. This will help you keep peace with your soul.

These are just simple things that will surely help you cope with stress and deal with it. As I have said, stress, is completely natural because we are living. All we have to do is know what we have to do when this silent killer attacks us. 

For the Sake of the Past and of the Future

After staring at the insertion point for quite a long while, blinking and annoyingly disrupts the flash of thoughts that ravels inside my head, at last, there is one descent idea that sprung out of my slightly beautifully damaged mind. It is about what is really our role as a citizen, and how are we able to become a responsible one. What does it entail us for doing so? What will be the perks of being a responsible member of the society? Or is there any?

 Let me share you this line from my favorite literary piece of a great Filipino writer, Carlos P. Romulo. Here it is, “I am a Filipino- inheritor of the glorious past, hostage to the uncertain future. As much as I must prove equal to a two-fold task- the task of meeting my responsibility to the past, and the task of performing my obligation to the future.”  This is such an example of a maxim that I think, every citizen must ponder on. The splendor of this line tags along a pronounced duty that one should not forget nor even avoid to think about.

Given that we are living in the generation where everyone seems to be very vigilant and is criticizing on every move of the government through the social media; however, I guess we sometimes forget what the essence of being a responsible citizen is. By making Carlos P. Romulo’s lines as guiding principle, how can we say that we are what we are supposed to be?  I have one little suggestion, JUST FOLLOW THE RULES. It may seem very simple, but I know, we all know, that this is very hard to follow.  I bet that upon reading this, you may want to stop, and click on for the new tab on your internet and scan the pages of your wall, update your status on Facebook and see what’s trending on twitter, or look for much more entertaining video on YouTube. But hey man! If you still have that one little consideration, just a little one for the sickening society, or you just want to know what’s inside my sick mind, you can go on reading my blog.

Let us start from the very basics. First thing’s first. Before we complain on other people’s actions, let us not forget on exercising our rights in the first place. Right? Then, we must bear in mind that it is our obligation to know what are our rights for us to exercise it properly. Let us recognize the idea of engaging into active citizenship.  Rights are there for us to exercise and not just to be passive about it.  These are the most important rights to the citizens of the country.  With this, we might be able to know what we should do, and know our limitations. Thus we might also learn to respect our fellows and continue to make the flow of the government right in track.

Next thing is, we must participate. Let us not just be mere audience of this big show of the government. Take note, this is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. So, in one way or the other, we are a part of the government. We are not just live spectators of the crimes that are rampantly happening n our society. 

Being a part of the of the government projects wont kill us right? Even just giving a little time to support these projects will bring a huge impact on the greater development of the country. Thinking of the welfare of one’s community as a whole is something that we should put in mind. Not that the disastrous idea of individualism is what we are put first. It is division we are displaying, not unity. Doing our part does not mean that we’ll just comment on social media about the government’s crap every time. It is not joining rallies though. It is not boycotting the election because we say that it is still of no use. It is getting involved. Getting involved in every way possible that we could do it.

Show concern. It is one thing that we can say and we can set as examples to the succeeding generations that hey, we care, so you must too.  Romulo said, “we are inheritors of the glorious past”, right? So how can we give credit to the people behind that glory we are reminiscing?  Patronizing our own products, preserving the rich culture and tradition, and loving the place that we are living in, are ways that we can value what our ancestors have left us. 

With these things, by being a true citizen, being committed and dedicated members of one society, will make us answer the call of meeting our responsibilities to the past and performing our obligations to the future. For the benefit of not only the children of our children but the bright tomorrow of our beloved country.

Living at the Brink of Survival

Life is unfair. It is a sad reality that nobody could escape. It is a fact that no one cannot deny. Rather to accept it as a challenge and most importantly as a blessing; because it is just a simple reminder that the Almighty has chosen you to be recipients of these obstacles in life for you are strong and valiant.

Let me tell you a story of never ending hope, unconditional love and fervent faith of a woman that I know back in my hometown in San Dionisio. Her name is Tina.

Tina is a mother of eight, and a wife of a fisherman and also a drunkard. Her husband’s earnings seem not to surpass the family’s daily needs so Tina is helping in any possible thing, she thinks, she can. In the morning, she gathers sea shells and sea weeds which she sells to the nearby barangays. Tina, also sells, ice candy in the elementary school, from where her students are attending to. In the afternoon, she accepts laundry.

A great hurdle in Tina’s life came when her son was diagnosed with hernia. Hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. Tina had no choice but to seek help from neighbours and friends. In a hernia operation, one must need around 100,00 pesos, and where on earth could Tina get this amount of money? She made a list of the people who have donated. You know what’s heart wrecking here is? As I see Tina’s list, people just gave her, 20.00 pesos, 5.00 pesos, and worst, 2.00 pesos. Of course, Tina did not complain about this, however, she continued on asking for help until one Good Samaritan answered Tina’s prayers.

Another obstacle came when Tina’s eldest daughter, from whom she thought was working in Manila got married to a man who is somewhat ‘can afford’. Tina didn’t knew this at all. She just learned this through a friend. On the day of the wedding, Tina came, but her daughter rejected her. Her daughter told her husband that it was her “yaya” before. Tina did not say a word and just left.

She said to herself, maybe, she was not good enough for her children to call their mother. Maybe because she was not able to finish her schooling. Maybe because she is just an ordinary housewife and a shell vendor.

I do not know how Tina felt that time, but I know that it really hurts, big time! On the other hand, because of her love to her children, she did not complain.

From then on, I haven’t heard from Tina again, until my younger brother told me that Tina is sitting in at Grade three in the school her where her children is in too and sells at the canteen when break time.

From Tina’s story, reminds me on hat it is to be a mother. Doing whatever you can for your children and never lose faith when problems arise. Her unconditional love for them had pushed her to do more, and to hope for the best. I guess, Tina just reminds me that no matter what happens, education is the best key to survive and the only inheritance a parent could ever give to her children.

No matter how unfair life is, it is for us to know the real meaning of it as we go along in this journey we call, survival. Also, for us to differentiate the meaning of survival, from knowing the true essence of living itself.