While writing my The Gucci Gang blog post, I was reminded of one documentary I saw on TV years ago that really moved me. A jolt to my system.
It’s a feature on a family who is living under a bridge in a slum north of Manila. Their dwelling place looks more like that of a chicken house– a one square meter room made of bamboo with an improvised, dilapidated galvanized iron door. One has to literally crawl in and out of the entrance. They couldn’t even stand up straight inside lest their heads would hit the ceiling.
Sometimes, it’s hard to live a good life when you know that many are living in continuous misery and awful conditions. An ex and I once had a debate on this matter. “Why are you so much affected when it’s not your fault that others are poor?” he said. “It’s not your problem anymore.” How apathetic. I never looked at him the same way again.
Yeah, it’s not my fault. And it’s not these poor children’s fault to be born poor, either. The more I see some of their kind, the more I feel so much blessed in life. And I’ve always admired people who were able to survive their poor pasts and still were able to keep their feet on the ground. That is why I am always more partial to rags-to-riches accounts than rich-kids-hitting-it-big-on-their-own stories.
These poorest of the poor may have the least privileges in life but at the end of the day, they’ve got more substance than the rest of us. They have been through the worst and having survived a destitute life alone is enough character. Thus, they are more blessed in this respect.
Nothing can stop the poor good men from creating their own niche in the midst of despondency because they have nothing more to lose but have everything to gain. As long as they keep on achieving.
Realization.
Sa mga experience ko rin, i have tried living my life in exile with what I already have. Parang everything I have is worthless compared to the passion that poor good men have to live their lives in their own little ways. Pag nakikita ko yung friend kung nakangiti kahit alam kong di pa nya alam kung saan siya kukuha ng pagkain for dinner, i become satisfied on what I already have. Siyempre, yung unang feeling ko, nakita ko na talaga ang injustice sa mundong ito, pero who am I to blame anyone or who am I to question the system — not the social system — but the world in general.
Pag nakikita ko siyang malungkot o nagyoyosi para lang maibsan ang inip sa haba ng oras mo pang iintayin para itulog mo na lang ang gutom, tanging gagawin ko na lang ay ayain siya, hindi sa paborito kong restaurant sa Makati o sa Malate…diyan sa may kanto lang, lugaw lang at tokwa, ayos na sa akin…ang mahalaga, nakasama ko siyang kumain ng pagkaing gusto nya at hindi ng pagkaing gusto ko.
Come to think of it, ngayong nasa ibang bansa na ako, I’m wondering kung kumusta na ba siya matapos masunugan pa sila ng bahay…. ang pagalis ko ba ang pumutol sa mga pagkakataong pede pa naming eenjoy ang kahirapan ng buhay… pero ang alam ko lang, habang hawak mo ang oras mo sa taong mahal mo at kasama mo pa sila…eto yung mga pagkakataong kailangang pagtuunan ng pansin…dahil kasama na rin sa injustices ng mundong ito ang time to separate ways….pero ako, di ko pinanghinayangan ang mga karanasan ko living a life with the poor good man I’m keeping in my thoughts.
Thanks Lanie dahil sa article na eto, naalala ko pa rin kung ano talaga ang mahalaga sa buhay. Hindi nga pala pera. Burloloy lang yun.
Hi Yam. You’re absolutely right! While we need money to survive life’s harsh realities, what matters at the end of the day is what’s WITHIN us.