Laborless Day

It's the first day of May.

Most of my friends are again out to enjoy the last day of the long weekend in a faraway place. Since I have a looooong summer break, the long weekend doesn't really seem long to me.

I had a pretty normal not-so-long weekend. I had work last Saturday. I went to Los Baños with my family yesterday where my sisters and I monopolized the videoke. But following the three-day weekend (even if inapplicable to me), I still have another day left.

Today.

I began my day by driving Ate Monica to her place in Manila for her first day of internship in UP PGH. Before she left, I told her, in my preschool teacher manner... "Good luck on your first day! And be good." I was still a bit sad about certain things this morning but more than those petty things sister fight about, other bigger issues arise. Ate Monica asked Lia to accompany me because I might encounter rallies along the way.

And on my way home, I did pass by a relatively small rally, going to the opposite direction. The crowd was on its way to Mendiola. But there were around six big police cars overtaking us with all those wang-wang. A bit too much for the crowd I've seen, if you ask me. But then again, they also know that the crowd will be bigger later on. Much bigger especially now. And what does that mean? We know what it means.

We know the pleas of the people in our country. We know most Filipinos are in poverty. Systemic poverty. We all (atleast most of us) wish to eradicate it someday. But often, we get stuck or we run around circles when we try to answer the question... HOW?

I am apprehensive to enter and write about the topic... not because I am apathetic but because I'm scared that it might be TOO BIG for me.

You see, I don't know the answers. But I guess no single person knows it too. Then I tell myself, if I just keep on thinking about it alone, it doesn't help much. So maybe I need conversations about it because in this case, more heads are truly better than one. And I think in situations like this, when I have nothing much to say yet, the best thing to do is to LISTEN (or in this case, read).

I am actually waiting for this special person to write down his pagmumuni... If anything, I need enlightenment.

We were once the "next generation" and now, we are actually nearing the "bright future" that they once thought our generation would bring. Correct me if I am wrong, brightness becomes brighter when we go near it... if the future is bright, it should have been getting bright by now...

There, I'm caught red-handed.

I'm one of the young ones not taking much action. I still looove taking vacations on our long weekends. (Our country has probably the most number of long weekends in a year). For me, I consider it a privilege to be thankful for. Although sometimes, it makes me think... while I am enjoying and trying to travel the different places, does it do any good to others? A few others, yes. The Tourism Department. The resort owners. The pedicab drivers. The mamangka. And all the other people we meet along the way of our travels. But still, not the majority of OTHERS who truly need all the help they could get.

Like the crowd of people rallying on this day. A Laborless Day. When you think about it, they are the ones who are helping themselves. They are fighting for a cause they believe in and because of that, they've always gained my respect. As I say, saludo ako sa inyo.

I know that I share a different kind of perspective on issues such as this. And often, people get shocked when they learn what I truly think. But as I keep on reiterating (special thanks to Sarah)... we all have different viewpoints. Differences do not necessarily mean discord.

I am not saying that I'm stopping my travels and adventures altogether. But I think it's about time for me to do something else, in addition to where I am now.

To everyone: Among all the posts I've ever written here (in my entire two-month old of blogging), I'd be the saddest if nobody replied to this one. I wonder... who else among us is wondering?