Mainly Mita

I found this letter to the editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer titled, “Respect Authority” from a Filipino in Australia. 

In the PCIJ blog, I noticed how most of the calmer, saner posts come from Filipinos who live and work abroad.  Whatever side they have taken, anti or pro-whatever, their posts were just written with the objectivity of an observer…not unconcerned, just less emotional.

It never ceases to amaze me how big a difference there is between their views from a lot of those who are still in the country.  Of course, this doesn’t mean to generalize nor create a huge divide.  It’s just an observation which, IMO, must have a valid explanation.  Maybe he’s not as stressed as he was living in the Philippines and can think clearly.  I really don’t know, these are all just assumptions.

But thinking about it more, the difference must lie in the fact that those who’ve tasted the peace, prosperity and freedom of another country appreciates and enjoys life more.  By life, I particularly mean the daily grind of living. 

They’ve learned to keep their emotions in check, learned the laws in this new country are enforced.  Hence, he can no longer bribe nor  get away with minor traffic infractions like he could in his old turf.   And nope, he can’t throw out that coffee cup out the car window, or throw his cigarette butt on the sidewalk.  Do these little things matter? I believe they do.

When I was living in Bulacan and commuting to Makati everyday, I took  the dreaded LRT twice daily.  Lot’s of times, the elderly or the pregnant would remain standing while young men reamined seated right in front of them. I guess, even the ever-courteous Filipino male can forget his manners when he has  have to scratch and claw just to get on his ride to work. 

Being a woman who likes to shop, I’ve taken the most ridiculous things home from Makati to Bulacan.  And no, I would not spend the money to pay for a cab unless the cab was full…so I took the  LRT.  Have you tried lugging a new stand fan in its box from the bottom of the Buendia Avenue LRT station, all the way to the platforms, at rush hour - with the rush hour traffic of people who can’t wait to get home….back in those days before the MRT was even dreamed of?

Ohhhh, you just had to have tried it to understand.  Never mind how you got from the center of Makati to that corner of Taft and Buendia…those stairs were the killer at rush hour!

This is the reason, I always offered my seat to the elderly and the pregnant if they happened to be near me.  I could only imagine being slow and weak, or burdened and all swollen and taking that abuse.  It’s always appreciated and always a surprise to the receiver.  In return, I can honestly say, I’ve been offered a seat more than once, with or without  an unusually large number of bags and boxes with me. 

The kindness of just one person always suprised me after all the abuse I got riding those trains.  It’s a matter of courtesy, you see. 

If courtesy was unappreciated, that was fine, I felt better for doing the decent thing.  And if I was the recipient I always made it a point to say thank you clearly and  look straight into my benefactor’s eyes because I wanted him to feel good about himself and keep repeating this gesture, and not just to a young, good-looking woman - which I ”suh-wear” I once was.

Courtesy, kindness and empathy.  We are still capable of that.  I refuse to believe otherwise, because if I do, it would be an acknowledgment that my country is hopeless.

The point of all this story-telling?  Please read the link provided above, the link to that gentleman’s letter and make the connection.  He ends his letter with these words:  “Positive change should start with you.”