Respect it

I'm leaving for the beach in a few minutes. My family and I were there yesterday, too. I took this photo just before we headed home. What the photo doesn't show is the plastic that litters the sand. It is so heartbreaking. For many hours, it was just my family there and the resort staff--a lot of them. But they were all sitting idly around the bar, chatting away. It's one thing to have all the plastic wash up on shore and another to do nothing about it. I was quite unwell yesterday, battling a terrible cough, but the sea air helped a lot so today I feel better.  When I get there, I will take a walk and pick up any plastic I see along the way. Each time we come to this place, the first thing we do is ask to turn off or at least turn down the music. Why drown out the sound of the waves, the breeze, all the wonderful sounds of nature we no longer hear in the city? Even if the waiters look at me like I'm a bitch from hell, I ask to turn the music down anyway. Even if they don't know it, I'm doing them a favor by giving them some health-giving quiet for a change. We all have a long way to go towards respecting nature and behaving responsibly around her. Be the change!

IT'S YOUR MONEY!!

Whenever I read about corruption, I seethe. So I'm surprised when people shrug their shoulders and say, "Talagang ganyan. Wala namang nagbabago." And still pay their taxes then complain about it. I am shocked that they think the present administration ought to stay because, well, anyone you put there will do the same. It could be apathy, cynicism, trauma, all that, but how can we be so casual about letting corrupt government officials steal our money to buy their SUVs (bad for the environment, by the way), expensive vacations--stuff regular citizens have to scrimp and save for? For some it's a question of getting 3 meals a day--one, even! Sometimes I wonder if it's because we simply have not made the connection between the taxes we pay and the state of the nation. Corrupt officials are using that money for their own needs--no, wants. So the money isn't going where it's supposed to. The poor are getting poorer and, this time, I'm not sure the rich are getting richer. I know the politicians are, though. I'm sure 95% of them will fail the lifestyle check. Miserably. We all know they're stealing, but does everyone realize what they're stealing? Our money. Money that can feed, house, clothe and educate. On that score alone, we should be livid. But we're not and they know it. So the cycle continues. ERAP is out. But there is not enough uproar. It's our money. We cannot shake our heads and expect things to change. Of course they won't, especially not if they know that is exactly what we will do. That's why the numbers are becoming more and more staggering. Abalos and his billions. And he's only one. Just one. Can you imagine the magnitude and scale of the collective NAKAW? Utter craziness. Sheer arrogance. Pure evil. Things can change and they will if we decide to be the change and CREATE it. Find out how today.

On a roll...

I was in my favorite room (that would be laundry) when another insight hit.  There is nothing like new shelving to get me going. I was thinking about the Pinoy penchant for waiting for "authority" to furnish us with their opinions before we form our own, or simply decide which way we will sway. Why are we always waiting to hear what the bishops have to say, or even finally be outraged only when Jun Lozada decided to tell the truth? There are many reasons, a big one being that Pinoys have been so traumatized by being betrayed over and over again by authority that we're like battered wives, knowing we need to stand on our own but needing to be told by the fist that we can't. I suddenly saw a clear connection between media and our children, and the kind of thinkers they will be if they're perenially in front of the tube or in the malls. Again, we are feeding them stimulus from outside, so as they grow older they will become more and more reliant on externals. But if we allow them today to be in nature, as much as possible, as natural as can be, then all kinds of movement will happen to them not just in the realm of the soul, but in their thinking and creating as well.  They will be fortified and inspired to do things from within because they are not constantly bombarded by electronic images, noise, billboards--worldviews that are abstract, cold, hard and conceptual. They are not drowning in information they don't need. If they are in nature, they learn to go with very subtle but deep rhythms that are health-giving and profoundly inspiring. In malls and in front of the television or any form of media, they get a very materialistic experience of the world. If that's all they see, how can we expect them to grow up strong, alive and vibrant from within? If we let our children play and live in nature they will grow up healthy and independent in their thinking and strong in their will. They will form their own thoughts and opinions without having to wait for direction from anyone. Nope. Not even the bishops. Just another thought from the laundry room.

Happy wherever they are

When I moved out of our old house, I was worried my children would miss it. I was worried they would miss the big, gorgeous saltwater pool we had that was all theirs, everyday, whenever they wanted it. I thought I would build a pool in our new house as well, but I found out what it would cost (not factoring in maintenance costs through the years). I decided it was not something I could do anymore. I worried they would feel bad about that. But all my worries and fears were unfounded. See them? All it took was this inflatable slide and a garden hose. There was no mention of missing the pool. Nothing. Our children are so easy to please. It's our adult conditioning that gets in the way. I should have known. When I turned 40, I took them to a beach in Laiya. I was worried because they are used to having kayaks on every trip, flying everywhere, having a yacht at hand and here we were at a beach that was less than white and far from private. They loved it. They would run to watch the fishermen bring in their catch and stand with them in commiseration at the sight of empty nets. I would often see my little one sitting quietly on his little flip-flops (to keep his bottom from burning on the hot sand), looking out into the great expanse of ocean and sky. My older son was just everywhere at once. Exploring. They even thought the soup, which was so obviously made from a powdered mix, was pretty good. They make me so proud. Why was I so worried they would miss such luxuries? They had me and will always have me. We forget how children always know what is more important and that being with their parents and the people they love, anywhere in the world, is all it takes. There will be no questions or longing for other things. All they need is already there.

LET THEM PLAY

My children study in a Waldorf/Steiner school. This is the only school they know. This is a school that doesn't advocate television and computers for children at least until the age of 12 when cognitive thinking and the capacity for more abstract thinking begin to surface. Before that, children are encouraged to play. What you are seeing in the photo is a ship. My son, Santiago, built it when he was about 5 or 6 years old. I let my children do what they will with the furniture. The only rule is to put everything back when they are done. This is imagination at work. He used pieces of cloth, clothespins, cushions, a stepstool and a small wooden ladder. He spent a good many hours creating and playing in his little ship. Santiago didn't watch any television until he was 9 years old. I wanted to wait until he was 12 but his father said one movie on his 9th birthday wouldn't harm him. Because it was just the one film, it lived with him for so long. He was singing the songs for weeks on end. It was the sweetest thing. He didn't see another film until a year later. Mary Poppins, I think it was. Some people have implied that I deprive them, but look at the beautiful ship in the photo and the work that went into it. There is no trace of deprivation there. Our world has become so challenging; their world will be even more complex. They will need to face these challenges with their most creative selves. That is the first thing television and media kill. First of all, you can be sure you are watching someone else's world view--someone's take on love or hate, for example. If you are not yet of the age where you can discern, you simply take in, take in, take in. If you do this several hours a day, everyday, those places in you that ought to grow and develop over time simply stagnate--the biggest of them is your imagination. I want my children to grow up equipped to face everything. If we feed them with images and concepts from the outside rather than have them develop from within--from themselves--they will have very little to draw from when the world, in all its complexity, begins to close in. But if we encourage them to play, create and imagine, these capacities will remain intact, grow into fullness, and arm them to create appropriate, out-of-the-box solutions to the most complicated problems later in life. Turn off the television, unplug the computers and let your children play! Let them run and climb, turn your chairs upside down and allow them to see what our jaded eyes no longer see.  Let them see a ship where we only see furniture. Let them. A child who is able to see everything will never lose hope because he will always see a window and a field beyond, where everyone else will see a crumbling wall. Play is the greatest gift we can give a child. A child who truly plays is the greatest gift to the world.

Nature around us

See those two little boys? They're my boys. This is a photo I took from the balcony of the rental I just moved out of. I took it a year ago. The lake was just a hop and a skip away from our house then.  We moved from congested Quezon City to Silang, Cavite because my boys were always sick in our former house and I felt that I had given them all the help I could in terms of therapies and nutrition. Somehow I sensed we needed to be supported by our environment, too. I was right (hay salamat minsan nakakatama din!). My boys have blossomed since. Though they still have asthma attacks (I was hoping that would disappear), they are both stronger and fuller. I was just showing my older boy's photo to his teacher and we couldn't believe how thin and gaunt he was before we left the city.  Here, we are surrounded by trees, crickets, frogs, all kinds of insects, clean air and life, life life!!! It takes them no more than 20 minutes of traffic-free travel to get to school. Now my Santiago has gained weight, is happier, less introverted and is always leaving his shoes behind!  He loves to walk on grass, soil and stones. Just the other day, my boys planned to have a picnic under the shade of a tree they just discovered they could climb. Each brought an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie baked by their Tita Joy. These are the simple joys of childhood that mean so much. They don't need toys, TV or computers. A home made cookie each, under a tree. That's what made their day. I really think that our children need to live away from the city.  I'm still in a village, not exactly in the middle of nowhere, so it's not even as perfect as growing up on a farm, but already the change has made such an impact on the health and well-being of my children. I am so grateful for the chance to move away, start anew and restore their health. Nature is such a perfect healer and I know that just by growing up in the midst of it, my children will be great protectors of her gifts. 

Goodbye Sunday Life

I just said goodbye to The Philippine Star. After years of writing there, I felt the time had come. I'm sad in many ways, but also felt the dissonance between the work I do, the way I live, and my last experience with the paper. I was censored for reasons I simply could not swallow. Anyway, I was a thorn on their side and for many years I have felt like the paper and I were not a good match, but I am grateful that I had that experience. So, this blog is where I can be read today. I also write for Town & Country occasionally. I have learned that every parting leads to new beginnings and this particular unknown is quite exciting to me. Here's to endless possibilities!