Malaya na nga ba Tayo?...

Malaya nga ba Tayo?...

Kung pawang mga bagabag at mga alalahanin ang sumasaiyo sa tuwina, hindi ka malaya.
Kung may patuloy na pagkatakot at kawalan ng pag-asa, hindi ka malaya.
Kung mayroong balakid, mga pagbabawal, at pagkitil sa iyong mga karapatan, hindi ka malaya.
Kung nais mong umunlad at guminhawa sa buhay, subalit pinipigil ka ng karalitaan, kakulangan sa edukasyon, mga koneksiyon sa lipunan, at mga pagkakataon, hindi ka malaya.
Hangga’t may inaapi at may nang-aa...pi, may mga kabuktutan, mga katiwalian, pagsasamantala, at mga nakawan sa kaban ng bayan, walang katapusang karukhaan ng karamihan, may kinikilingang hukuman, walang mapasukang trabaho at mga pagkakataon, hindi tayo malaya.
Isang paglalarawan; kung nakaharap ka sa isang botika, at tinatanaw mo ang gamot sa estante na siyang makalulunas sa karamdaman ng iyong anak, subalit hindi mo ito mabili sa kamahalan, hindi ka malaya. Dahil lahat ng iyong nakikitang bilihin ay may kaakibat na halaga. At ibibigay lamang ito doon sa bibili na may sapat na pambayad. Kung wala ka nito, walang kang kalayaan na ito’y mapasaiyo. Kung may salapi ka, sa iyo ito. Kung wala kang salapi, ibayong pagtitiis ang kaulayaw mo. Kawangis mo'y isang bilanggo na walang kakayahan at karapatan. Hindi ka malaya.
Lahat ay may katumbas na pagod, panahon, pagkakataon, at kabubuang salapi. Kung wala sa iyo ang mga ito, tumingin at umasam lamang ang iyong karapatan. Kung walang laman ang iyong bulsa, maraming bagay ang wala kang kalayaan na magawa, gampanan, mapasaiyo, at ikaunlad mo.
Sa isang bansa na tulad ng sa atin, sa tuwing sumasapit ang “Araw ng Kalayaan” ang ating pamahalaan ay mistulang isang bugaw (pimp) na nagkukumahog na ipangalandiri ang ating bansa na kawangis ang isang pampan (prostitute). Hindi ba nila nababatid na ang paghihimagsik na sinimulan ni Gat Andres Bonifacio at tinutulan ni Gat Jose Rizal ay hindi pa tapos? Noong tayo’y magwagi laban sa pamahalaang Kastila, pumalit naman ang mga Amerikano at sila naman ang ating nakalaban. Dahil sa panghihimasok na ito, nasangkot tayo sa digmaang Hapon at Amerikano.

Ano ang ipinagdiriwang natin, ang ating kamangmangan at pagyukod ng ulo sa mga banyaga at naghaharing-uri sa ating bansa?

Sino ang higit na malaya, ang naghaharing-uri o yaong nagdarahop at namimighating mga Pilipino. Sino ang may pambili at yaong nakatingin lamang at patanaw-tanaw na masulyapan at naghihintay na matapunan ng awa? Kung sakaliman magkakaroon ng digmaan, at ikaw ay makikipaglaban sa iba, ano ang iyong ipinagtatanggol? May sarili ka bang mga lupain, mga kabuhayan, mga ari-arian, mga negosyo, mga mansion na bahay, magagarang sasakyan, at higit sa lahat milyung-milyong salapi sa bangko, upang magtanggol para dito? Kung wala ka ng mga ito, sino at ano talaga ang ipinagtatanggol mo, ang iyong sarili o ang mga naghaharing-uri? Karamihan sa atin, kahit lupa sa paso ay walang pag-aari. Tanunging mo ang ating mga karaniwang kawal sa militar, kung ano ang ipinagtatanggol nila at lagi silang nasa parada tuwing "Araw ng Kalayaan" Wala silang nalalaman sa katotohanang ginagamit lamang sila.

Hangga’t umiiral ang mga ito sa ating bansa,
HINDI KAILANMAN, TAYO . . . MAGIGING MALAYA

GUIDANCE

"it is dangerous to feel so good..."
i said to myself, and sighed...

"happiness attracts the evil eye of disaster, or maybe it is already there, dwelling in the disaster that brings it on"...and i began to cry quietly...

i prayed to GOD for guidance...and as i meditate on the word "GUIDANCE"....i keep on seeing "DANCE" at the end of the word....and I realized that life is a lot like dancing...dancing by pairs...one must lead and the other will follow...

then i saw the letter "G" on the word guidance, and i remembered "GOD"...it was followed by "U" and "I", then finally, "DANCE"

GOD, U and I DANCE!....lead me, i'll follow you...

"la illaha ilallah"

have a blessed Monday to all!

Wonderful Creations...

It all started with a "HELLO" :)

It wasn’t long time ago since I was unconsciously attacked.
Someone from nowhere said hello to the curls of my brain.
An intruder entered my mind and then went right into my heart.

I've heard her voice.
I’ve seen her colors.
I’ve felt her feelings.
And I wish she knew that.

My world since then started spinning upside down.
Oh, how many wonders does this world have and how many more wonders will be created?
All these questions runs in my head!
All that I’m sure of is that behind every little wonder in this world is a story of creation.
Such a magical beginning, just like when I saw you walked right into my little world.

You created a trap for me and then you saved me when I fell.
Your heart has a voice that captivates my ears.
It plays a song that I always long to hear.
I wanna fall asleep with such melody.
I’ll dream of you again and again.

Oh love of my life!,
wake me up when you feel that the dream has started to invite the whole of me!
Wake me up because living in the reality with you is much, much more fantastic.

It’s funny that when you unknowingly hurt me, it transforms me to being a stronger person.

How could I ever hate you when all the things that you do only makes me realize how hypocritical my world was before?
You have made me stronger, smarter than the one I was yesterday.
You made my eyes see the strange, the bitter, and the good truths of life
You made a better person out of "ME".

And for that, I'll be forever thankful – for just when your wings carried you to me....

"YOU EMBEDDED LOVE INTO MY HEART!"

I LOVE YOU....JGD!

=Ron=



.

Changes...

In every change that we experience in life, there will be times when we wonder if we can endure. but we must learn that facing each difficulty one by one isn't so hard. It's when you don't deal with a situation that it sometimes comes back and confront you again.
Changes are sometimes very painful, but they teach us that we can endure and that we can become stronger.

Everything that comes into our life has a purpose, but the outcome is in our hands by the actions we take.

Be wise with your life, be willing to endure, and always be willing to face life's challenges.


Ronald

Lesson of the Kite: Follow the Rules...

I was walking along the shore one windy Friday Afternoon, when I observed young people having fun using the wind to fly their kites. Multicolored creations of varying shapes and sizes filled the skies like beautiful birds darting and dancing in the heady atmosphere above the earth. As the strong winds gusted against the kites, the string kept them in check.
Instead of blowing away with the wind, they arose against it and flew great heights. They shook and pulled, but the restraining string and the cumbersome tail kept them in tow, facing upward against the wind. As the kites struggled and trembled against the string, they seemed to say, "Let me go! Let me go! I want to be free!" They soared beautifully even as they fought the imposed restriction of the string. Finally, I saw one of the kites succeeded in breaking loose. "Free at last" it seemed to say. "Free to fly with the wind."
Yet freedom from restraint simply put it at the mercy of an unsympathetic breeze. It fluttered ungracefully to the ground and landed in a tangled mass of weeds and string against a dead bush. "Free at last" free to lie powerless in the dirt, to be blown helplessly along the ground, and to lodge lifeless against the first obstruction."

How much like kites we sometimes are. Life gives us adversity and restrictions, rules to follow from which we can grow and gain strength. Restraint is a necessary counterpart to the winds of opposition. Some of us tug at the rules so hard that we never soar to reach the heights we might have obtained. We keep part of the rules and never rise high enough to get our tails off the ground.

Let us all rise to great heights, recognizing that some of the restraints that we may chafe under are actually the steadying force that helps us ascend and achieve..

Ronald V. Rafer
KSA

Ang Dalawang Mundo ng mga OFW

Usap usapan sa tambayan ng mga OFW's sa Saudi Arabia...

Ang dalawang mundong ginagalawan ng mga Filipino expatriates na namumuhay at nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa..

"sa pilipinas ay isang butihing ama o ina, pero sa ibang bansa ay may ibang kinakasama"

"kapag nagbabakasyon, feeling rich, para maipakita na can afford...pero sa ibang bansa trabahong kalabaw at doble doble ang part time jobs na ginagawa para kumita ng perang pansustina sa ganung larawan ng buhay na ipinapakita"

"sa harap ng pamilya at mga kaibigan sa pilipinas ay astig at macho ang kilos at dating, pero wag maloka kung makikita siya sa ibang bansa na ala Marriane Rivera at daig pa si darna sa ka artehan kapag dumadalo sa mga social gatherings"

Isang kaibigan ang dumating mula sa pakikipag chat sa kanyang pamilya, at panandaliang naputol ang palitan ng mga kuro kuro....

"naka chat ko ang aking asawa at mga anak sa internet"

"nakausap mo na pala eh bakit parang iiyak at lungkot na lungkot ka?"

"sabi kasi ng bunso ko..."mama, kunin na natin si papa at iuwi natin sa bahay" habang hinahawakan nila ng kuya niya ang ang aking mukha sa screen ng computer. gusto kong umiyak, yakapin at halikan sila, pero hindi puwedeng magpakita ng lungkot ang isang OFW, dahil baka lalong malungkpt at umiyak si misis...sa aking dibdib na lang at kalungkutan at pagka giliw na nadarama"

Biglang natahimik ang grupo...

Matagal!

...at dagling binago ang paksa ng usapan....

Marahil ay sa iisang dahilan...at iisang nararamdaman,

Dahil lahat sila, bilang mga OFW ay namumuhay at dapat matutong mamuhay sa dalawang uri ng mundo na kanilang ginagalawan.

Sa harap ng naiwang pamilya sa pinas na sumasandal at umaasa sa kanila, dapat silang maging matatag...Masaya, kahit na kadalasan ay lumong lumo na...

"OK lang ako dito, maayos naman ang lahat" tila ba naka program na sa utak ang otomatikong isasagot sa pamilya kahit ang katotohanan ay lubog na sa pagtitiis at paghihirap...
Na malakas at walang sakit, para huwag silang mag alala...kahit ang katotohanan ay nakahiga sa pagamutan at hirap kumilos habang kinakausap ng mahal na pamilya sa pilipinas...Dapat laging matatag...para maipakita ang "role" ng isang moog na sandalan...
isang matatag na ama...
butihing ina...
isang ulirang anak....
...na laging handang magmahal, maglingkod at magpakasakit alang alang sa pamilya...
larawan ng isang matibay na sandalan sa kabila ng katotohanang sila ang higit na nangangailangan ng isang matatag na pader na masasandalan...

Nakakalungkot isipin, subalit ang isang OFW ay parang isang punching bag, na puwedeng saktan o suntukin ng paulit ulit pero hindi puwedeng gumanti ng suntok...at mas pinipili na huwag sumigaw kahit sila ay nasasaktan...
hindi gagawing lumaban...dahil sa iisang dahilan...

sila ay nagmamahal!...

Mahal ng isang OFW ang kanyang pamilya....
Pamilyang pansamantalang iniwan sa Pilipinas para tuparin ang kanilang pangarap ng magandang kinabukasan...
Pamilya na kung minsan ay sila din ang nagbibigay ng kalungkutan sa OFW na sa kanila ay nagmamahal at nagpapakasakit...

At handa kaming gawin ang lahat...kahit na mangyari pa na kailanganin naming mabuhay sa dalawang magka ibang mundo...

...and only an OFW can understand another OFW....

Dahil pareho sila ng buhay na pinagdadaanan!

Who Are Really Strong?...

Sometimes life can be full of shit
Sometimes it seems like you just don't fit
Into the role you were meant to play
Sometimes it feels you don't want to stay
On this earth of sin and lies
No matter how much or how hard you try

As you walk down the halls during the day
You can hear them whisper, but not what they say
"What's wrong with me?" is what you ask yourself
Everyday while you sit in your office chair

The only ones that you can trust
Are the ones like you, the ones who must
Go through life, the unwanted role
And feel better off to be all alone

The ones who lies awake all night long
Listening through their headphones to their favorite rock song
The ones who think that suicide is a friend
But never have the guts to just give in

They are the ones who give in to drugs
They're the ones who are really needing a hug
They're the ones who are always having sex
So in a way they feel they have respect

The ones who are freaky, weird, and scary
But everyone around them all just barely
Knows them for who they really are
No one knows the stories behind the scars

That have been placed on appearance and emotions
And all night long their tears run like oceans
"I want to die" is what they say
They think about it everyday

They always try to find the best way
To end their long and shameful days
The pills? the razor? the little rope?
They all seem to shine like a ray of hope

Then they think of the ones they trust
The ones like them, the ones who must
Go through life the unwanted role
And feel better off to be all alone

Then they think that even though life is full of shit
And sometimes it seems they'll never fit
Into the role they were meant to play
They actually decide they want to stay

On this earth of sin and lies
But they promise themselves that they'll try
To find a better way to help themselves out I
nstead of taking the permanent route

So, they're the ones who are really strong
Who put up with preps all day long
But when they get home, at the end of the day
They smile and say "I made it through another day!"