It has been talked about so much, for so long. But it is very disappointing to see that nothing much has changed over the years. I am talking about the indifference towards the marginalized and poor. The walls that separate the better-off from the oppressed have been built so high up, that only a few of those who attempted to peep into the life of the sadder side of this world dare to crossover.
Life is not just for the few to enjoy. How many houses must a person have in order to live comfortably or how many 8,000 peso shoes must a person have in order to walk around the city without getting blisters? I’m pretty sure there are more significant ways of spending one’s surplus of money. If one has worked hard for his wealth, then of course, one has the right to enjoy it as he pleases. But this issue of poverty and the like isn’t getting any better. It surely doesn’t take a whole team to drill through concrete and dig through pipes and wires in order for the world to see the ugly truth that segments of society have to live with every day.
Many of us in the Ateneo were born lucky and will continue to live lucky for the rest of their lives. I have nothing against that, but we must not forget that there are people working in campus, sleeping right outside the gates of Ateneo, and probably people who sit right beside us in class that could certainly need our help in various ways that we can. I have been talking about money too much. Money is supposed to be a means to something else, not the ultimate end itself. The prosperity of the common good and the human race should be on the top of our list.
Every person has a unique set of capabilities that enables him/her to enjoy certain aspects of life that many/others may not have even imagined. It would be a shame if the truth were to end there. I believe that in life, there are many locked doors hidden right in front of our faces, but each door can only be unlocked by certain people. The possession of keys is not an exclusive privilege of the rich or the poor, both hold the same power, but for different realms. Similar to acquired knowledge from books, there is much to learn from the Other.
Keeping to ourselves is not a life well lived, and closing one’s doors to the certain sets of people is like having a disabled loved one wait in the car while the rest of the family eats lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Sympathizing for the poor won’t make this situation any better, and waiting for somebody else to do something about it is like waiting for a tumor to shrink on its own.
Life and its wonders are much better experienced when shared and depriving the many for the pleasures of the few is like eating all the cherries on your birthday cake because it’s your birthday (that’s just mean). Be good to your fellow men and be a jouissance’r for the world!
I agree with the need for giving and sharing with the poor but I really think one should not give away everything and not buy something for himself once in a while. I admire those people who celebrate their birthdays in Charities, they give out and share with those less privileged and at the same time they enjoy themselves too. In this situation, the person celebrated and gave a party for himself but at the same time, he reached out.
ReplyDelete-Diane Cheng (A)
"Life and its wonders are much better experienced when shared." This reminds me of the concept we had for theo class which is about gratuitousness. we receive gifts and as human beings, we should not just keep them to ourselves but share it to the others to let the blessings flowing. we may not be able to gain more material blkessings but what we gain is more than that. The blessing returns to us deep inside and we'll feel more contented rather than being hungry for more.
ReplyDeleteMar Tan - PH 102