Sunday, August 29, 2010

The case for too much planning and Unpreparedness

What happened last week can also be a comparative analysis of one sector's lack of preparation and the other sector's over planning of things. For purpose of objectivity and sticking to the subject on being ready at all times or to pursue life unplanned, I would not mention anything about nationalities but will refer to the people as either police/government 'authorities' and 'tourists'.

That hostage crisis incident opened our eyes to several things. Foremost of which is the violence one can inflict on another human being. I don't want to go on all the gory details that were already written on countless newspapers, news reports and blogs but simply put, such violence should not have been part of our psyche. It is a sad fact that we have to contend with in our lifetime though.

Which now brings me to my point. I divide those people who were the principal characters of this incident into two categories (THE UNPREPARED & PLANNERS FOR NOTHING). First - the authorities (government and police). They are the people who lacked planning. The way the whole rescue operation was botched right from the get go shows poor execution that is only a result of poor planning or simply no planning at all. Using mallets to break the fiber glass windows of that bus instead of a device or explosive meant for such an occasion only underscores this. There are other blunders committed that sadly would not have been so if only the authorities planned or at least employed some brilliant strategies right during the early hours of the hostage-taking.

And then the second characters - those ill-fated tourists. Now I may say that most of them who died may have been victims of too much planning. It is just tragic that whatever plans they have set out to do can no longer be fulfilled because their lives were taken in a blink of an eye. And that is what I meant about too much planning. That even if we set out preparing for everything, at the end of the day, we never really know what happens next. Some deranged, disgruntled cop may instantly put an end to our lives or a truck driver cutting our dreams short by one reckless and careless turn of the wheel. We never can tell. Which gets me thinking if it really is wise to plan too much on things. Especially when you travel. I prefer to go on the outskirts of the town or country I'm visiting rather than ride on some cramped tourist bus. The idea is to soak in the atmosphere, the culture of the country I'm visiting as fast as I can. I always hate traveling on tours where your time or itinerary is pretty much preplanned for you by others leaving you no time to actually explore the foreign land or get to know the locals on a more personal level. No offense to those who work on the tour industry but I must say, guided tours are mostly boring and restricts the movements of tourists instead of allowing them to actually enjoy the country they are visiting.

Now back to that point of over-planning, yes, some of those who perished in that tragic incident may have lived a life with no regrets. Sure, they get to travel to their chosen destination or perhaps they might have enjoyed their brief stay after all. But what about the plans they made beforehand? Those plans now went for naught because of their short-lived existence. So the case is where one sector should have really thought things over and prepared really well (the authorities), the other should have just enjoyed life while they can. You can only plan and prepare so much.

Monday, August 16, 2010

CLOUDS


clouds - looking fluffy, almost cute at times.
but when it darkens, oh, how the heart must weaken..
not knowing where to turn when it suddenly decides
to burst forth and pour torrents of rain.
scattering, unrelenting...what once appear harmless,
would sadly turn careless.
when it seems each curl supposedly taking you close to heaven
is after all making your life such a burden.
CLOUDS.. cuddly one moment, deadly the next..

Sunday, August 8, 2010

HEART VS MIND (and how they worked out a temporary truce)



HEART: Why do you hate me so much?

MIND: I don't hate you. I just think you're so hard-headed and just want to give you a piece of my mind. I don't feel any hatred at all.

HEART: I think you're just jealous coz I have a lot of feelings. I don't do brain-Freeze and I'm not numb.

MIND: Oh, yes you may not be numb but you are also plain DUMB. And duh? You don't even think. If you have half a brain as I do, you wouldn't even go around brandishing those so-called 'feelings'. I mean what are those anyway but just your own delusions.

HEART: That's not true. What is real is that warm emotion that passes each time you see the smile on your beloved, or the passion that goes with the twinkle of his eyes. And the smell of forever in his kiss..

MIND: Ah! You're so hopeless! I've done everything I can to make you realize your follies but guess I'd just have to give up. And even if I'm contemplating whether to shove you down to the level just underneath the lungs and the intestines and share equal footing with where gas must pass (read: ass) or to squeeze you tighter via my mind over matter power so that you will bleed to death, I won't do so however tempting that is.

I just realizeD that without my help you often break yourself into pieces anyway.

(and with that, the mind left the heart beating through the sound of it's own music).

Saturday, August 7, 2010

It Must Have Been Love? (Oh, puhhleeze!)

Okay, I know that is one of my favorite songs in the early 90's and somehow became my LSS for a few days since the pronouncements of the Philippines' so-called "Queen of all media' when summing up her marriage to a basketball hero and the imminent end of it. But I can't actually agree with her on the use of that song.

I don't think that's love when you try to analyze the whole thing. Maybe a little more of 'lust'. I don't hate that lady (happen to admire her a lot, actually because of her guts and for making things happen in her life, the success and all that jazz) but summing up their relationship through that song might be a bit off. Or maybe it's true that she may have deluded herself for some years that it was love to the point that she actually thought until this very moment that she was in love then. But being in love with someone in the whole sense of the word does not equate trying to throw mud at him in the public's eye. However much that person hurt you, if it's a beautiful kind of love that you shared you simply keep mum when it's over. In pained silence. And it would be doubly painful to paint the guy in a bad light especially after that same guy is showing the world that he is after all willing to work things out and apologize.

So I can probably say with conviction that it must not have been love but some other thing. Some other emotion that these two people shared. Probably coming close to it but not necessarily the kind of LOVE as we know it. For love does not end, it's not like a bottle of wine or a glass of milk that once consumed will suddenly run empty. One does not grow tired of loving. If you get tired of it then that is not love to begin with.

I should know. And if it's love you never mention the word OVER. For even if the object of your affection turns his back on you and when hurtful words are spoken, and you need to get off each others' throats for a few days, or months, years even, that will remain in your heart. It never goes away, like cancer that has no cure. And it will never cross your mind to tell people, much less the whole world, that the person you love is a jerk. You can admit that to yourself but not to anyone. So, yes, Kris Aquino, I believe that may not have been love. Not TRUE love anyway but some sub-form of it I guess.