ARE WE AFRAID?

Are we afraid of what it will mean for each of us if a leader of integrity and vision--yes, VISION--is elected? Sometimes I feel like it's so easy for us to claim it as the future we really want, but when it comes down to making it happen, we can't, because it means the entire landscape of our lives will change. Wala nang palakasan, diba? Lahat pantay-pantay. Baka wala na ang mga VIP lines, baka wala ng relevance ang pagka-who's who mo. Let's face it, everyone has someone they can run to, to make things move forward a little, and we all rely on that more than we care to admit. And that is why old politics continues to reign in this country. So many people have too much invested in it. The murky part of our identities are so mired in it.

What does it mean for us, individually, if someone of integrity holds office? Are we ready to let things go for the NEW stuff to come through? Because it won't happen on its own. We have to make space for it--in our thinking, in the way we live, the way we will eventually vote. I hope it will mean we are all forced to be the change we keep praying for at last, that what comes out of our mouths today as platitudes soon translate into courageous action. Because what I'm seeing now, especially in that sorry realm of politics, is we're not ready for something new AT ALL, no matter how violently we shake our fists in the air, no matter how many times we rally, no matter the tears we keep shedding.

What I keep seeing is old stuff. People keep claiming they're bringing in new politics, but their approach is old--money, celebrities, that oh-so-TRAPO-tone, speeches full of fervor but also overflowing with mindsets from the past. We keep responding to something we've seen before because it feels comfortable, but is that what our country needs?

I've never been interested in politics. Each time I watch anything that has to do with it, I mostly recoil at the antics, but I am paying close attention because I feel my country is so painfully effed-up and the only way to bring it back on its feet is for each of us to to break open our thinking, the way we never have before. We have to put sentiment aside, let go of emotions that no longer serve us and approach the next elections with an openness we've never had before.

I have my candidate, but I still listen to what the others have to say and try to stay objective because I owe my country that much. To the very end, I will keep myself open to what might be emerging. I owe my country my informed choice. I will not vote based on anything anyone says. Surveys do nothing for me. Noise, glamour, glitter, bejewelled and coiffed supporters do not sway me. I will continue to listen to each candidate (except for the criminals, fyi) and vote out of my conscience.

I know, people like to think I'm impractical, a dreamer, a tree-hugger and just plain old crazy. (YAY!) But just think about where everything you're seeing in politics today has brought us. Where has machinery brought us? Money? Winnability? Topping the surveys? Any standard of the past we keep looking for, for that matter, can no longer apply. Just look at where we are and see why we need to choose our candidate in a way we never have before. Before we ridicule or cancel them out, let's ask ourselves the hard questions.

Remove the word IMPOSSIBLE. Block all outside influence. Listen to yourself. Conquer your fears and go for gold. If we want new politics, we have to be clear about what we mean and be ready for everything that needs to change in our lives today.