Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Choosing Ignorance For Love

What makes the world go round? They say that God created the world for his most loved creation a place to thrive. And God is love. Love, therefore, makes the world go round.

Wait a minute. Isn’t it the reason why the earth behaves as it is is because of its relative position to the sun… the so-called gravitational pull? At least that’s what my science teacher says. Is love, therefore, an effect of gravity?

Idiotic you say?
Perhaps.

Love, I believe, is a force to be reckoned with. To be respected and handled with great thinking. It can bring into our lives immense happiness and content. In moments of despair, love can give us the emotional strength to hold. It is the most beautiful thing one can probably have in his lifetime.

Alas as with all great things that exist, if taken for granted, love can diminish you into shame – regretting that second you chose to be an idiot.

Ok, that maybe a bit too harsh to describe someone. If only I can think of a softer term.

When it comes to growing up in a family, a child cannot choose who to love as a mother or as a father. But when it comes to raising one, anyone is free to choose anyone to raise it with as long as it is within bounds of their religion and morality. Another significant outlook to consider is the capacity to sustain growth, more so - financially.

But when these two factors are deliberately ignored in favor of climactic pleasure, it’s a disaster in the making.

Recently, for fear of complications, we let go of an unmarried nanny who has been with us for just a month. After coming from her day-off, we asked her to defrost our ref for the first time. Midway, she unobtrusively ran out of the house. Later she found vomiting for no apparent reasons. She then positively admitted she was pregnant - by her boyfriend - her first cousin even!

What on earth? Why would c-c-cousins…? Eew... crazy!

Other than informing us that her cousin accompanied her that same day for check-up, we didn’t bother asking anything else.


(Photo courtesy of www.xanga.com)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Help Street Children

When I read about poverty-stricken people’s lives in tabloids, I usually feel sorry for them. And then I go over to the next article, and the next, until I find nothing more interesting. I lay the paper aside and that’s just about it.

But when I personally witnessed that such an undignified lifestyle exists, I felt pity and much disgust! Reading those facts is one thing, seeing them is… argh… W T F! The entire alleyway they considered home is littered with trash - from candy wrappers to body excrements. And the air, eew, it smells awful!

Even after months of seeing them, passing by near their alleyways, I never got used to their existence. How can I be? The word snatcher seems to be spelled all over the place. Yes, a mind can be a terrible thing especially if you are paranoid. What more if you’re hungry, days at most.

Thank God nothing out of the ordinary happened when I was there, at least for me (I’ve borrowed so many from Him - my 3rd actually).

Strangely for me, they all seem quite happy. Huwwaatt?!. They more likely have gotten so used to living this way for who knows how long that they probably don’t see anything unsanitary in their street homes.

Unclothed toddlers sit by the sidewalk playing with whatever is lying around. Beside them are their irresponsible parents, neglectfully watching. Their lola, who seemed to have lost it, is constantly barking at an imaginary companion standing by a post.

Something must be done, I am not sure what, otherwise this type of upbringing will eventually take its toll on those poor kids.

The occasional breakfast I hand over to one of the kids only provides morning relief. Used broken toys re-packaged as Christmas gifts by nearby condo residents gave the kids momentary joy until these toys break even more. None of what were given to them is lasting, but we cannot spoon-feed them to their laziness either.

So what now? Hmm… I think a REAL government subsidized education can help our street children.

(Photo courtesy of maps.google.com)