HOW does an old dog learn new tricks under the New Normal?
When the flea-infested government raised its dirty finger in March 2020 and said that the old folks must lock themselves up in their holes while the pandemic rages, there was no other recourse but to follow.
I didn’t know what was hitting us. But it turns out, the administration knows no better.
From its innocuous touchstone bluster of “sampalin ko yang virus na yan” to dropping the ball each turn, how could you trust your life with these nincompoops?
DESPICABLE ACTS, DESPERATE CONDITIONS
How can you not get angry with billions of people’s money spent on medicines that expired in the warehouse or on overpriced supplies even as people are dying.
How can you not rage when this despicable man apologizes for the death of four Chinese drug criminals and say to thousands of poor Filipinos killed in his dubious war that they deserve their fate? Kill!
How can you not feel helpless at the growing disparity? With millions of Filipinos unemployed or underemployed, the rich are getting richer and have, says the latest figures, added more billions of dollars to their worth despite the faltering economy?
And now, there are moves by our so-called economic managers to increase taxes on SMEs to fund supposed development plans and, while this move will kill more small businesses, we are aware that, based on COAs findings, many government offices mishandle precious funds.
TAKING STOCK
Ito naman. When people try to remedy their own problems like opening up a community pantry, the government red paints them as seditious.
Saan ka pa?!
In a hostile environment, the natural instinct of humans is either to flee or fight. How could you fight stupidity spiked with evil intentions?
Nah! Flee is not option for me. I’ve invested more than 70 years in this country, eschewing chances to live my dreams abroad.
Instead, I tried to insulate myself for a brief period of time, a respite to give myself room to reflect.
I imagine my body literally as plastic flattened by a road paver. I float in the air like a leaf wrenched from its bough and feel the vibrations of centuries and history.
I will realize that there are, indeed, a parade of warts of men who were born to make lives of other people miserable. Eventually, they become warnings of what not to do.
But men never learn.
THROUGH DECEIT AND DEATH
But we have our own lives and our children’s, too, to look after. And so we move on through the thick molasses of deceit, avarice, perversion, and appetite for death.
To survive, friends have gone to be plantitas, undertaken Marikondo cleaning, and discovered solitude. It also became the confirmation or destruction of bonds among couples, I heard.
Many have gone into trading online with their home-cooked meals, just to be able to escape hunger.
Yet, instead of assisting them, the government announces that it will be taxing them instead.
Hindi ba ang galing? Talagang pipigain ang dugo mula sa singkamas. Magutom kayo!
ADJUSTING TO NEW NORMAL
How does one make sense of this inhumanity? How do we desensitize against such madness so that it does not infect our mental health?
And if we become academic about it, we have to look into the realms of mental, spiritual, physical, social, economic, and political levels.
Do not allow negative thoughts to weigh you down.
I have my crossword puzzles, the sketchpad, and, yes, the plants. Stress relievers are Netflix, YouTube, and journals in the form of short stories, poems, and novels.
My cousins and I now have monthly Rosary prayers; I am an unabashed Marian believer.
To keep in shape, I go for morning walks and thank the sun for the warmth.
ANY JOB IS A BLESSING
I thank OpinYon for giving me space to speak out. This and Facebook keep me in touch with people.
Seek solace in family and friends, even if virtually. So, in the past months this geezer had to learn Zoom, Telegram; explore Viber and Instagram more.
As for the economic aspect, I have days of being super broke but I will not pretend I came from a poor family. I am not Manny, the Villar.
Super sipag ng mga magulang ko and from them I got my work ethic. And that has put us siblings in good stead.
The pandemic continues to asphyxiate one of our modest family businesses but we had to double time with another. It is a good thing I always find joy in work.
Thank God, we are being blessed. Oftentimes, these days, your thoughts are filled with questions on how you could generate more income for others.
And as for the political sphere? Ahhh. That is the misfortune. That is the pain. That is the horror.
But we have to power to remedy that. I hope to be able to say more in the days to come.