Musings Over Coffee & Movies

Where is the Love

2004-02-10T07:37:00.000+08:00

I was watching the 46th Annual Grammy Awards this morning and was watching Black Eyed Peas’ performance of “Where is the Love” when inspiration hit me to write this piece.

Black Eyed Peas posed a perfect question to ask everybody today: Where is the love?

What's wrong with the world, mama, People livin' like they ain't got no mamas, I think the whole world addicted to the drama, Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma

Have we really lost it? Are things so bad now that we just managed to erase love from our systems, our minds and from our society forever? Are things so bad that people have lost hope for the good?

Madness is what you demonstrate, And that's exactly how anger works and operates, Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight, Take control of your mind and meditate, Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

When I put down the newspaper after reading through it, I am left with a feeling of both sadness and frustration. There is rarely any news that aims to uplift the Filipino people. The newspaper everyday is filled with news of murder, corruption, kidnapping, bribery and all other kinds of cruelty.

But if you only have love for your own race, Then you only leave space to discriminate, And to discriminate only generates hate, And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah

And a lot of times people do these cruel things because of differences. Differences that can be resolved, avoided and are unnecessary.

Father, Father, Father help us, Send some guidance from above, 'Cause people got me, got me questionin', Where is the love

Where is the love, you ask?

Sometimes the most difficult question has the simplest answer. Where is the love? It’s inside of us, in our hearts. It never left us.

I don’t believe it when people say before you love someone else, you got to love yourself first. That’s just selfish. We’re not here on this Earth to satisfy ourselves. We are merely stewards, caretakers of the world God created. And we only get to live one life. Don’t waste it by causing harm to everyone else.

If one has to even ask where the love is, then he doesn’t deserve it. Because it’s there, inside him, every single day. All one has to do is to realize it and use it and spread it to everyone else.

Where is the love, you ask?

It’s right here, inside us. It’s always been inside us.

New Year, New Start

2004-01-09T11:50:00.000+08:00

CAN you believe it’s already 2004? Just four years ago, we were all worried about the Y2K bug. And how here we are, still having fun with our gadgets and toying with the latest technology. Just four years ago, we were worried about the world ending once it turned January 1, 2000. And now, here we are, four years later, still alive.

It’s the start of another year. It’s the start of another phase and chapter in our lives. It’s another chance to being life anew, to make up for past mistakes, to live a new life, to start over again. It’s another chance for people to become the person they want to be and who they can be.

Start off the New Year by reflecting on the past year. How was the last year for you? Was it a year you’d remember for the rest of your life? Why you think it is so? Was there something you did personally that makes the last year so memorable? Were you able to grow as a person?

Was it a year you would want to erase from your life? Do you have regrets? Was there an outside party involved that ruined the year for you? Are you prepared to move on?

The key to living a better life is not forgetting about the past and living in the present. It’s about realizing and learning from past mistakes and applying it to the present to make for a better future.

Reflection is only the first part. It realizes what you did right and what you did wrong. Why don’t you try it?

Next, make a conviction, a promise to yourself. What are you going to do different this year? As for me, I made a vow to myself to be more charitable and offer my help to anyone who needs and accepts it. I’ve been pretty satisfied and content with my life, except for this part of myself.

Don’t be afraid if you realize change is involved for it is in change that we grow as a person. I’m a different person now from the person that I was two years ago. And I’m glad. I’ve changed. I’ve learned to let go of my qualities that have been holding me back (cynicism, doubt, critical) and focused on those that matter (positive, loving, dedicated, hardworking, appreciative) and now I’m looking forward to my future, as happy as I can be.

New doesn’t realize mean it’s bad. It’s just different from what we’re used to, especially when you know it’s going to help you become the person you want to be, the person you can be, and the person you should be.

Every New Year marks a fresh start for us. Use it wisely.

Christmas

2003-12-22T17:21:00.000+08:00

YOU either hate or love Christmas.

If you love Christmas, it must be because you love the gifts, you love the sales, you love the parties, you love the shopping, you love the rush, you love the promos, you love the vacations and you love the Christmas bonuses.

If you want to analyze it spiritually or emotionally, you might say you love Christmas because it’s the spirit of giving. It’s the one moment in a year when people are actually civil AND nice to each other. It’s the one moment when people actually give love to one another.

If you hate Christmas, it must be because of the endless traffic that starts in December, of the Christmas songs played over and over again everywhere starting in September, of spending hard-earned money on people we don’t even know if we like, of the constant overcharging of products that cost half the price it used to cost before Christmas, of the false sincerity of people during Christmas.

Personally, there are two holidays in a year that I love and one of them is Christmas. I love the shopping. I love the gifts. I love the vacations. I love the parties. I love the food. I love the fact that the family is always complete during Christmas reunions. I love the cold air that arrives during Christmas. I love decorating the house. I love that I get to see my friends during Christmas.

I love Christmas despite that fact that traffic is horrendous, that every square inch of the mall is filled with people and that I seem to spend a lot during Christmas. I love Christmas despite all these bad things. Because Christmas is about Christ and Christ is love. Haven’t you ever wondered why people seem to love each other more during Christmas? I always believe that it’s the power of the triune God that touches our hearts.

My only wish is that this feeling doesn’t stop after Christmas. I’ve been attending the Simbanggabi masses since it started last week and I’ve realized and remembered the most wonderful things that should have been and should always be apparent, and not just, this holiday season.

Jesus lived a life for others when he walked in this earth. And He invites us to do the same. Not just this holiday season, but everyday of our lives.

Let’s think of others for a change. Make their Christmas a little better this time around.

Is he really Da King?

2003-11-28T16:54:00.000+08:00

THE unthinkable has happened. Fernando Poe, Jr, also known as Da King or FPJ in Philippine show business, has declared his candidacy for the 2004 Philippine presidential elections. He announced it so simply: “I am Fernando Poe, Jr. and I am running for president of our country.” Simple words from a simple man?

Perhaps.

But what if they came from someone who has never had any experience with politics, the government or public administration? Are these still simple words? Do they become complicated because it involves politics and the apparent lack of experience?

Admittedly, I am not a fan of FPJ, even of his past movies. But I do admire his effort to keep his movies as excellent as can be and that he has kept his businesses and companies still flourishing all these years. If he will use these same “work ethics”, in case he wins, in politics, then maybe we, the Philippines, will have a chance for a better life and future.

But how do we know he really will?

We don’t. Not really.

FPJ has no political experience. That is a fact, a big fact. It may be one point against him but it is a big point, especially since he intends to join the crazy world of politics. There are a lot of problems in the Philippines right now and he can’t just wing it and make it all go away.

During his press conference at the Manila Hotel last Wednesday, he said he was sincere man who sincerely wanted to help the country. Will this be enough? Is sincerity really enough to hold the highest position in the country? In this case, leadership abilities and/or political experience is necessary, don’t you think so?

But he does have some leadership and managerial abilities. After all, his real estate and production company wouldn’t be reeking in millions of pesos in assets if it was being poorly managed.

And we never know. FPJ might really be a simple man, a sincere man who just wants the best for his country.

What do you think?

At this point in time, it’s hard to tell if FPJ, if Da King really is the man, the person for the job. He has just filed his candidacy and he hasn’t even presented his campaign yet. Although, in his press conference, he said he would like to focus on education. That’s interesting since he, like Former President Joseph Estrada, is also a high school drop-out so he can earn a living for his family ever since his father died. Maybe his preference to focus on education is directly related to the fact that he missed out in finishing his.

Let’s wait and see when he formally starts his campaign.

So far there are five people who have announced their decision to run for president of our country in next year’s elections: President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Former Department of Education Secretary Raul Roco, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Senator Robert Barbers and Da King Fernando Poe, Jr. Who is the right person for the job?

We don’t know yet. But one thing is important. Vote for the person who is fit for the job and not someone who is just popular. Get to know the candidates and their campaigns. Never settle for anything less.

How was your birthday?

2003-11-13T21:47:00.000+08:00

WHEN I was younger, I always looked forward to birthdays. Birthdays meant parties, which also meant cake, games and gifts, which meant more toys and, even, money for me. Birthdays were so much fun when I was still a kid. All you had to look forward to were the party and the gifts. Birthdays as a kid were so simple, so uncomplicated.

It becomes different when you get older though. Priorities and expectations became different when I got older. Suddenly, birthdays are those days when one broke out of the mundane world of routine and indulged in something new. Suddenly, birthdays become an excuse to go out and have a good time. Now tell me, since when have birthdays become an excuse for anything? Birthdays are supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be a celebration.

But what’s worse is that sometimes I’ve come to the point where I do dread the arrival of my birthday. Maybe it’s because I have to face the reality of “turning a year older” that entails more responsibility and emphasizes the uncertainty of my life and my future. Maybe it’s because birthdays mean spending too much on things I can’t really afford. Maybe it’s because I know someday, soon, I’ll have to face reality, my reality, the reality of finally doing something tangible with my life.

What are birthdays anyway? What are they supposed to be? They’re supposed to be celebrations of the past year and the beginning of a new one. They’re supposed to be the event that forces you to look back at the past year. They’re supposed to be the event that forces you to reflect on your life and what you’ve done the past year. But do we really do that? When birthdays come, do we sit down at some point in the day and just think about what happened during the year?

But in the end, I know birthdays are just like a good but long book. I continue reading it just to get it over and done with. But when I look back after finishing it, I realize it really is a good book and I can’t wait to read it again but not yet. Maybe someday I’ll read it again. But for now, I’ll try reading other books first. And by the time I read that book again, I’ll have a different perspective due to my exposure to other books and other genres I read before and after it.

Last week, I celebrated my birthday and I tried to look back at the past year. I realized I did a lot of things followed through on some of it but never really accomplished anything concrete. And that is the reason I am doing this.

This online magazine/journal/column is one of the things I will be busy with to make a name for myself and to make my future certain. I present to you, Musings!

Musings will initially be written by me to give me a chance to determine the reader response. It will be a bi-weekly publication and new articles will come out every 2nd and 4th week of every month.

I hope you enjoy Musings' very first issue and article. Please let me know what you think of it and Musings by leaving me a message through the comment boxes provided by HaloScan or through private e-mail provided by Yahoo.

Thanks and good day, everyone!