At a corner

I sat at a corner in Mcdo Kingswood on the night of May 16 seeking a cool myself from the heat. At the table beside me, there was this group of 5 who are probably in their mid-thirties and to their early fifties talking about how the Philippines is fairing incomparison to other countries; how our government is doing; ho to improve our system and our culture and the brain power our country is wasting over the fear of losing foreign investors and our lack of support in protecting our own patents. It was a variety of topics that travesed major points of debate that continue to baffle the learned and spark intense conversations among the few remaining nationalissts and the growing number of politicians.

It was weird listening to their ideas sometimes refuting one another like on how our systemo fo government should be changed and so forth. As one said, "even if we change the system wouldn't it still be the same kind of people who would be running that system?" They even talked about events like the People Power that once was a pride of our country and now seems to be "loosing its touch" as it now became clear that it was pointless and didn't effect that much needed change over the ordinary people's life. They toyed around the idea of autocratic rul; in a sense a rule of discipline and "righteous leadership" - that in which they hoped would be service in its truest and purest of form.

In the end of their conversation, they came to a conclusion that "if someone is responsible to what happens to my life, it would be my own and no one elses." They put to claim that in other countries, the government or the elections is but a natural occurence that passes once every some years and the people go through the process orderly and dutifully. The people lead lives of their own without having much interferance from their government. It is not that their government does not care nor do they let their government run things with unwatchful eyes. It is just that they don't necessarily need the government to make their lives, to run their lives, to build their lives. This is because they know it is their lives and it is their responsibility to make, run and build their lives and no one elses.

There is a lot to praise and a whole lot more to refute and reject among the hypotheses and suppositions, but what i would like to point out and what i really think matters mmost is that they are talking about such topics. They are aware. This, as I see it, is a good thing. Apathy is nonexistent in this group of 5.

The first that might come into your mind now might be whether they are just all talk and no work. I learned later on as their meeting progressed was that they were part of a civic oriented group and where actually there to discuss plans such as building birdges, community development, microfinancing communities, potable water supply, sustainability of projects. In a sentence, they too are involved.
Awareness and Involvement...

Not bad...

This country still has heroes left...