REVIVAL

I never imagined I could ever revive my blog With so many political goings-on in my country, and then my email nearly getting lost (I changed my password last Saturday and could not access it afterwards), I was ready to give up on my communication with the outside world. Funny isn't it how a simple lost email could rouse deep anxieties and frustrations over having a meaningful existence in this world Have I become techno-mad that I would lose my foothold on this earth without access to technologies? No I don't think so Right now, I think my mind is just saddled with taking care of my 91 year old mother.

A woman's husband in a community is comatose and has been in the hospital for nearly 4 months She knew that it would take a very long time, almost heroic proportions to bring him back to normal. So also, I knew that her moroseness and loneliness were caused by his absence. Yet, I asked her pointblank, how could you feel so when this man had been shouting at you, cursing your children by your first husband and belittling every business efforts you would make to tide over the family's needs She happened to be the family breadwinner and the man only her assistant to her transactions, yet had equal ownership of every profitable venture that she had been able to rake.

My mother is different though. She is easy to teach than that other woman When she told me that this 23rd would be her saddest birthday since her husband had passed away, I told her that she can always greet herself, a happy birthday Nobody ruled that people should always celebrate their birthdays with other people In fact my most memorable celebration of my birthday was when I went toa resort and spent great time looking at the horizon, sitting down underneath a coconut tree, drinking beer and writing down my thoughts, what I had been or had achieved in the past year and my future plans. Am I being westernized in that sense? In a way yes, but I can imagine our indigenous tribes allowing their members to be the same -- reflective of their existence For example, I have seen a child in the high mountains of T'boli tribes in South Cotabato, Southern Philippines, playing with his leaf whistle while in front of a vast field of green ricestalks. I think he had been there for more than an hour and had been fascinated by whistling and seeing the birds around him. He must have been communicating with them as well.

Here or there, east or west? It does not really matter I guess what is important is that we feel whole, together and human.