Nanalo ako ng Jackpot sa LOTTO (kunwari): Itong Gagawin Ko.

Binalak ko noon na kapag mananalo ako sa Lotto ng higit isang daang milyon, magpapatayo ako ng dream house ko, bibili ng lupa, magtatanim ng prutas at gulay at ibebenta ng murang mura; mag dodonate sa Gawad  Kalinga, mag-aaral ng Film Making sa abroad; bigyang kabuhayan ang mga mahihirap; tumulong nang tumulong; magnegosyo; magtatabi sa banko at hayaang dumami; bibili ng lahat na bagay at pagkain na gusto ko.

Masarap isipin kung magkatotoo.

Pero napagtanto ko, hindi yan ang buhay na gusto ko. Hindi sukatan ang pera upang maging maligaya ang isang tao. Hindi pera ang sukutan upang masasabi mo na maayos at matiwasay ang buhay mo.

Sa trabaho ko, may mga pagkakataon na malaki ang natatanggap ko kapag nakatsamba ng malaking proyekto. Kapag hawak ko na ang malaking pera, sumasakit ulo ko sa kaiisip kung anong gagawin ko dito. Kung ano bibilhin ko; kung sino ang ililibre ko. Nabibili ko nga ang mga ninanais ko pero bakit hindi ako lubusang masaya? Di ba yan ang isa sa mga motibasyon ko na maging secure financially noong nag-aaral pa ako o ng sino man, lalung lalo na yung nakaranas ng hirap? sa mga nagtiis sa instant noodles at sardinas sa araw-araw; sa taong may iisang pares lang ng sapatos na ilang taon ng isinusuot? sa bawat pamilya na walang maayos na tirahan na sa tuwing uulan ay perwisyo dahil sa tumutulong tubig sa bubungan. Sa estudyanteng ginawang hobby ang mag promisory note tuwing exam, walang sapat na baon, parati bang gutom at minsan absent dahil walang pamasahe. O kahit mayaman na, gustong yumaman pa kaya lahat ng negosyo na patok, papasukan. Nag-aral ng pangmayamang kurso para pagkagraduate, pangmayaman na trabaho din ang babagsakan. 

Pera nga ba ang nagpapatakbo sa mundo?

Para sa iba, oo.

Wala sa isang daan ang laman ng bulsa ko ngayon pero hindi naman ako malungkot dahil doon.

Kung may sampung libo ako ngayon, magiging masmasaya kaya ako?

Hindi siguro. Dahil para sa akin, hindi pera ang nagpapasaya o kumukumplento sa buhay ko.

Ang simpleng usapan at tawanan sa loob ng bahay ang nagbibigay saya sa akin. Ang mapabuti ang nararamdamang bigat ng loob ng isang kaibigan; ang pagsasalo salo sa konting handaan tuwing espesyal na okasyon na kasama ang mga mahal sa buhay; ang manood ng basketbol sa tv na nagsisigawan at naghihiyawan; ang makikain sa bahay ng kaibigan; ang mapatawa ang taong malungkot; ang tumambay sa kanto; ang magkantahan sa tugtog ng gitara kasabay ang mga kaibigan.

Di ba mas masaya ang buhay kung maganda ang relasyon mo sa mga tao sa paligid mo? Kung nagdadamayan at sinusuportahan ang isa't isa? Yung walang lamangan at inggitan? Yung masaya lang kung masaya at malungkot kung malungkot. Hindi kailangang maranasan ang marangyang buhay para masasabi mo sa sarili na masaya ka. 

Aanhin mo ang Ipad 2 at Iphone 4s kung masama naman ang ugali mo at namimili ka ng kakaibiganin, yung mga taong may gadgets din kagaya mo. Aanhin mo ang kabi-kabila mong negosyo kung hindi ka marunong makipagkapwa-tao. Kung ang tingin mo sa mga taong marurumi ang kuko at madumi ang balat ay may masamang balak na sa iyo. Aanhin mo ang mala mansiong bahay na naka aircon bawat kwarto kung hindi naman nagkakaintindehan ang mga nakatira dito? Aanhin mo ang magagarang suot at kotse mo kung hindi ka marunong tumingin sa mga nangangailangan at tugunan ito? Aanhin mo ang yaman mo kung wala kang kinikilalang Diyos kundi ang pera mo? 

Okey lang sa akin ang manalo sa Lotto. Okey rin na hindi. Tataya pa rin ako. Ang sa akin lang, hindi sana ako mapasama kung mananalo man ako. Alam ko sa sarili ko na hindi kailanman pera ang sagot sa lahat ng problema. Lalung lalo na hindi ito magbibigay kahulugan sa buhay ko. Ang mamuhay ng may pagmamahal sa Diyos at sa kapwa ang pinakaninanais ko. Bonus na lang siguro kung bibiyayaan ako ng maraming pera. Ganunpaman, gagamitin ko ito para ibalik sa Diyos ang ibinigay niya sa akin sa paraang mapeplease ko Siya. Higit pa sa jackpot sa Lotto ang makaharap ang Diyos at sabihin sa'yo, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!" Matthew 25:21

Gusto kong maalala ako ng tao, hindi sa kung gaano ako kalaking tumulong o magbigay, kundi kung gaano kalaki at kayaman ang puso ko sa pagmamahal sa kanila at sa Diyos.

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?"  Matthew 16:26

There's More to Life than Facebook (or the internet).

Dear Friends, I have made a decision to gradually get Facebook out of my system.

I know this site has been very useful and helpful to me, as I am able to connect with you and share our lives, our innermost thoughts and feelings, our memories in photos, our everyday choices. Yes, and as for me, I have lived my waking days with this site since its birth. I have expressed myself here in ways imaginable - posting crazy videos; silly comments; bitter thoughts; laughed without a real sound, just "hahaha" or "hehehe"; I have shown you my heart and my mind here when I am not brave enough to express myself in front of people. I chat with faceless friends, whose breath I can't feel and realize that friendship nurtured online is no better than friends who choose to spend time together.

My Status Wall is my heart. What you read are pieces of me. But this Facebook Wall has somehow become a soild wall between me and the real world. Between me and those real people with real faces. Between me and myself. Instead of creating solid bridges, I have unconsciously forgotten the traditional, the basics, the proven and tested way of building relationships. That is the Meet and Greet; the visit to a friend's house; the tambayan sa kilid dalan; the simple panginaon sa tiangge. The conversation under the stars. The jamming session to an endless list of songs; the chismisan; the loud laughter; the long walk; the damayan when a friend is burdened; the exchange of jokes; the "wala diri wala didto nga istoryahanay"; the advises and sharing of problems and concerns and struggles; JUST BEING AROUND WITH PEOPLE I LOVE AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO LOVE ME - WHOM i CAN FEEL, I CAN HEAR, I CAN TOUCH, I CAN SMELL. 

Facebook may connect us, but it keeps a distance between people. It makes us believe that we can grow in friendship eventhough we dont give an effort to continually see each other. But to my realization, it drifts my relationship apart with the people I love. I may seem to feel that I know the person through his/her status and posts, but the truth is, I will only get to truly know the person if I spend time with him/her. I will only get to understand him/her if I get to listen as he/she speaks his/her heart out. FOR ME, IT"S STILL THE "SPENDING TIME TOGETHER" WHICH MAKES THE RELATIONSHIP GROW. PRESENCE AND AVAILABILITY MATTER. 

Facebook is such a wonderful creation. I don't deny it. But, I can't deny as well that it can also be a distraction and destructive. It's easy to destroy another person by posting a negative comment about him. It's easy to ruin one's life by passing on a bad story about him. It's easy to make friends but it's also easy to make enemies. It's so easy to change the relationship status from In a Relationship to Single to In a Relationship again. We, humans are so confusing nowadays. On Facebook, friends can turn into enemies. Maybe I am just blessed that I dont have enemies among my list of Facebook friends because I only add those whom I can trust. I don't add people I dont know personally. I don't add people whom I think whose motives are questionable. I dont like stalkers among my friends. 

I keep a low profile. I am not a celebrity. But I entertain those in my circle.

I must admit my wall posts are sometimes offensive or defensive or senseless or simply bitter. If I am hungry, I post it. If I am lonely, I post it. If I am angry, I am poetic. Whether I am high or low or in between, I post it. If I cant find the right words to say what's on my mind, I pick a bible verse or quotes. I realize, i spend a lot of time in the internet and absorb the radiation which the computer gives out and communicate with faceless people. When all I ever wanted was to be known and be heard, it seems Facebook has somehow replaced my social life and exposed myself too much to a wired world which only few really seem to care. Isn't it funny that we people depend on Facebook or social networking too much that we already disregard speaking to each other in person or addressing concerns and issues in private. Rather than let the whole world know that you are angry at someone, why not settle it with the person you are angry with or tell a few people you trust about what you feel. I know everyone has the right to express themselves but we should be responsible, sensitive and protective of each other. I still believe in gentle talk when an issue arises. Facebook has become a loud mouthpiece for people who are bursting in emotions; who have no one to talk to at the moment. We let our fingers speak rather than use our lips to talk. I repremand myself each time I become like it. But sometimes, you just want to express that anger to the world to make you feel good.  

It if does make you feel good, it doesn't mean it's right.

When you are in your right mind, you wouldn't make another person look so bad to other people. 

I have so many things to say. The bottom line is Facebook or the internet is good, but there are better things to do with our lives rather than building your identity online, creating a Virtual YOU, spending hours in it and stripping youself to the world who care less.

Get up. Stand up. Go out. Real people are there. Build strong and lasting Relationships. Love. Care. Reach out. Spend your precious time to worthwhile things. Laugh and cry together. Listen. See the sunrise.

Dont make Facebook/Internet your life. Get a life and Make it count.

Morning Bus Ride going to Sipalay