Sketches: Strokes of the hand that crystallize hitherto unknown denizens of the mind and heart. Epiphanies that essay the realm of ideas and sentiments.
Kicks: Those cathartic maelstroms that satiate the insufficiency of this perfunctory world.
This page attempts to do just that: evoke kicks of sorts through sketches.
Comments, objections, suggestions and reactions, are most welcome.
"Bless the President so she will have forbearance, good health, the tolerance to lead this nation up to 2010, and perhaps, who knows, even beyond," thus prayed Press Secretary Jesus Dureza.
O Christ Jesus, if You can’t listen to me, please DON’T listen to Your tokayo, too. He was just being humorous as he openly admits. Just listen to the hearts of all the Filipinos. Let his president NOT extend a millisecond more in Malacanang. Amen.
“Man’s life is limited to one hundred years. Night takes up half of these; one half of the remainder is absorbed by infancy and old age; the rest is passed in the midst of the sicknesses, separations and adversities which accompany life, in serving others and giving oneself up to similar occupations. Where is one to find happiness in a life that is like the foam that the agitation of the waves produces in the sea?”
These words, taken from the verses of Bhartrihari, somehow capsulizes what philosophical pessimism speaks of: life is suffering and happiness is but a dream. As Voltaire, this favorite of fortune and nature, said: “ I have been experiencing it for eighty years. I do not know of anything to do except resign myself to it, and remember that flies are born to be eaten up by the spider and men to be eaten up by grief.”
It can be said therefore that pessimism is nothing but the pathetic confirmation of the evil of this world, a desperate cry of anguish of the tortured soul.
But there definitely is dignity in the face of suffering. And this dignity lies in the acceptance of the absurdity of the sisiphusian task – a confidence in the face of the absurd end to an absurd existence. This implies that humanity will fulfill its destiny not by its own simple disappearance, but by a complete surrender of individuality to the cosmic process, so that this process can reach its aim which is the freeing of the world.It is only by a complete submission to life and its suffering, and not by a cowardly renunciation and surrender, that one will be able to contribute to the cosmic process.
But this ignores and fails to mention that there can be a higher dignity beyond man’s desperate heroic act in the face of absurdity, that there can be something nobler than the acceptance of suffering. What can be nobler than the acceptance of suffering? This we believe is succinctly expressed by the Stoics when they proclaimed that our real happiness consists in virtue and that the realization of this happiness is beyond human strength. Also, Plato, who admitted that terrestrial existence is essentially imperfect and the pleasures of this world sheer absences of pain nonetheless admitted the World of Ideas which we can reach by our own efforts, enlightened by Reason. In the same manner, Christianity which at all times preaches the “vanity” of terrestrial joys, likewise speaks of heaven and of the eternal beatitude which is in heaven reserved for man.
Moreover, we observe that the contention that the essence of life is suffering is contrary to experience. This is because in spite of the unquestionable miseries which are inherent to terrestrial life, the majority of mortals decidedly prefer existence to non-existence. Nature does not recommend pessimism.
The fear of death, a senseless, irrational but for man more dreadful than all suffering, is only the counterpart of the will to live.
As Erap was for the Filipinos, George W. Bush is for the Americans. Erap had his “Eraptions,” Bush has his “Bushisms.” Thus, while large corners of the world are still euphoric over the presidential victory of Obama, there will be some people feeling slightly deflated to see Bush step down as US president. Just as there will always be some Filipinos who would feel aggrieved to see the downfall of the movie star who became the most stupid president of the Philippines, as he is often dubbed by the media and civil society groups, there are also some people -- Americans as well as non-Americans -- who feel aggrieved over the nearing exit of Bush.
Just as Erap has provided us with endless amusement as a result of his faux pas or “Eraptions,” Bush, too, has provided us with his “Bushisms.” You say the Filipinos were crazy and deserved what they got for voting Erap into the highest office in the land? Well, the Americans had Bush. And he got to rule the most powerful nation on earth for eight years.
Here are 25 of my favorite Bushisms:
25. "I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that -- in which there's a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the -- of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House." --George W. Bush, referring to White House chef Cristeta Comerford while meeting with Filipino President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Washington, D.C., June 24, 2008
24. "I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 26, 2008
23. "Your eminence, you're looking good." --George W. Bush to Pope Benedict XVI, using the title for Catholic cardinals, rather than addressing him as "your holiness," Rome, June 13, 2008
22. "Thank you, your Holiness. Awesome speech." --George W. Bush, to Pope Benedict, Washington, D.C., April 15, 2008
21. "I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008
20. "So long as I'm the president, my measure of success is victory -- and success." --George W. Bush, on Iraq, Washington, D.C., April 17, 2008
19. "Let me start off by saying that in 2000 I said, 'Vote for me. I'm an agent of change.' In 2004, I said, 'I'm not interested in change --I want to continue as president.' Every candidate has got to say 'change.' That's what the American people expect." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 5, 2008
18. "This thaw -- took a while to thaw, it's going to take a while to unthaw." --George W. Bush, on liquidity in the markets, Alexandria, La., Oct. 20, 2008
17. "There's no question about it. Wall Street got drunk -- that's one of the reasons I asked you to turn off the TV cameras -- it got drunk and now it's got a hangover. The question is how long will it sober up and not try to do all these fancy financial instruments." --George W. Bush, speaking at a private fundraiser, Houston, Texas, July 18, 2008
16. "Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 people." --George W. Bush, Charlottesville, Va., July 4, 2008
15. "I can press when there needs to be pressed; I can hold hands when there needs to be -- hold hands." --George W. Bush, on how he can contribute to the Middle East peace process, Washington, D.C., Jan. 4, 2008
14. “Those who enter the country illegally violate the law." - Nov. 28, 2005
13. "If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." - Dec. 19, 2000
12. "Well, I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness." - Aug. 30, 2000
11. "One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures." - Jan. 3, 2000
10. "I was proud the other day when both Republicans and Democrats stood with me in the Rose Garden to announce their support for a clear statement of purpose: you disarm, or we will." - Oct. 5, 2002
9. "I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein." - May 25, 2004
8. "I understand small business growth. I was one." - Feb. 19, 2000
7. "I just want you to know that when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace." - June 18, 2002
6. "There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again." - Sept. 17, 2002
5. "The truth of that matter is, if you listen carefully, Saddam would still be in power if he were the president of the United States, and the world would be a lot better off." - Oct. 8, 2004
4. “I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." - Sept. 29, 2000
3. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." - Aug. 5, 2004
2. "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." - Jan. 27, 2000
1. "They misunderestimated me." - Nov. 6, 2000
For more Bushisms, check the Political Humour Website.
I have had the rare opportunity of observing All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day in a very special way this year. The week leading to these two special days and the days thereafter became my saint’s days and my soul’s days.
All Saints’ Day, since the early days of monasticism, has always been a special day allotted by the Church to commemorate, honor, and emulate the holy lives of all saints. Transcending this tradition, however, is the Church’s admonition that all of us are actually called to be saints. It is therefore more of a challenge, especially in this age of extreme materialism, moral relativism and skepticism, to rise against sinfulness and return to the fold of truth, goodness, and light.
All Souls’ Day, on the other hand, is also a special day especially calendared by the Church for us to remember and pray for our departed brethren. More than remembering our departed loved ones, however, is the challenge for all of us to also remember that we are all endowed with our own souls which we must all cleanse and prepare for our ultimate re-union with our Creator.
November 1 therefore is the day we are all especially challenged to become saints. And November 2 is the day we are all especially challenged to prepare our souls for this same sainthood.
Prayer, especially the Eucharist, is always the best food for the soul. Personally, however, I find a number of balms that somehow caress and rejuvenate a tired and weary soul: nature, art, poetry, music, memories – both good and bad, my bonsais, a couple of hobbies, and most especially, love and my family. These, and the most precious time spent with them, make up my soul’s days. They, too, are my natural path to “sainthood,” if with God’s grace, I may ever attain that final goal.
Indeed, the past days have been my soul’s days and saint’s days.
One week before the two special occasions, I flew to Bicol to renew and re-strengthen my ties with my roots. I visited my ailing Papa and Mama, laughed and reminisced memories with my only brother and only sister, drank and sang with several relatives and friends, laughed with my 101-year-old Lolo and gazed for the first time at the 101-year-old face of romantic love in his eyes and the lady who’s currently the object of his heart. I am just awed at the love that beats inside a 101-year-old body.
After 26 years, I have had the chance to visit and pray at our family mausoleum for only the third time. I guided Edward, a distant cousin, in cleaning the place, lighted candles and took photos of the tombstones thereat for the family tree I have been working on for years. For the first time, too, I visited and prayed at the tombs of some friends whose wasted lives have recently been added to the growing list of victims of extrajudicial killings that now hover above and cast a shadow of death in this seemingly doomed country.
Back in Manila in the last day of October, I suddenly found myself enjoying a traffic-free drive along EDSA. There are only two days in a year when driving around Manila thoroughfares would be considered a pleasure: All Souls’ Day and Good Friday. Both are occasions for prayer and soul-cleansing. Both are great occasions to pray while driving. It is that rarest moment when you feel pleasure while praying.
And so, I decided to extend the pleasure. My family in tow, I maneuvered the car towards one of the nearest retreat forests I knew. Destination: Caylabne Bay Resort.
There are at least four reasons I like Caylabne. One, I love driving along the winding road that leads to the place. There is always something therapeutic, almost mystical, in driving along the winding road that seems to be tenderly hugging the sides of the mountain and gazing at centuries-old trees that seem to beckon at your every turn. Two, it is the only place I know where hawks are still observed swiftly gliding in the blue sky in search for preys. Different species of birds play among the savage branches unperturbed. Personally, the magnificent sight brings happy memories of my early childhood. Three, it is one of the very few places I know that boast both of a lush forest and a beach resort. And four, I adore the Spanish villas built in the place.
Herewith are a few of the photos I took during those days of my soul.
Ah, I wish to echo Sri Chinmoy’s words in his Eternity’s Vision-Reality Song:
Beloved Lord Supreme, Do You approve of My self-transcendence song?
"My son, not only do I approve But it is I who will Sing in you, Sing through you My Eternity's Vision-Reality Song."
