Getting a fix on change
April 24, 2006 | 12:00am
An ambulant philosopher friend of mine, whose temporary residence is on a picturesque street corner, and who claims he is descended from the gods of Mt. Banahaw, says the only real fear is the fear of change. Of course, having just descended from his airy refuge after the government recently banned hikers, pilgrims and tourists from trekking to Banahaw’s slopes (and thus depriving him of the source of his panhandling funds), he is in the know about such things as fear of change.
Life in the lowlands for him was a frightening prospect, one that – forced by circumstance – he has adapted to with great enthusiasm. You will find him dishing out nuggets of wisdom at the corner of T.M. Kalaw St. and Roxas Boulevard as soon as you fork over a five-peso coin (anything less is unchristian, he says).
We are all experts at change, in a way. Every day, we are faced with decisions – big and small – that require us to make changes to humdrum patterns of daily living that bring us face-to-face with a future unknown. It could be as trivial as trying out something new on the lunch menu or a whopper of a life-changing event such as choosing to take on a new job and having to leave a comfortable and stable 20-year career. That said, my savant friend (who is, incidentally, also thinking of starting a career as a yoga and Pilates instructor for the rich and bored matrons in Makati) is more frightening than the scariest multo or latest horror flick.
I couldn’t help but agree with him, of course. Current events provide an endless array of such frightening prospects. The effort of shifting our system to a parliamentary one is bringing out hives among our politicians, social observers and concerned civilians. The dramatic rise in world oil prices is creating great anxiety among consumers (that’s all of us!). These are but two prospective changes in our national horizon that – true to my friend-sage’s prediction – incite great fear.
On a personal level, the apprehensions are no less gut-wrenching. While my Banahaw-descended friend may not be able to appreciate my own forays into life-changing decisions, I do find it of grave concern when, say, faced with the decision of whether to fill my car up with another gasoline brand. Will the tiny little gasoline attendants cleaning up the cylinders and pistons inside my vehicle be able to remove the gunk that has accumulated in its walls after having used another brand of gasoline for so long? Will it help if they used the leading dishwashing liquid to remove the grease from my car’s pistons? I’m afraid these hardworking and cheerful mighty mites would just give up and leave me and my car stalled in the middle of EDSA during rush hour.
Change is what makes headlines in newspapers. Scan the front page of the Philippine Star or any newspaper and, the more radical the change, the bolder the headline. The President’s move to abolish the death penalty is a major change in national policy. Not that this effort is novel or new in any way. The oldest (predominantly) Catholic nation in Asia (East Timor is the second and a very new Catholic nation, in case you didn’t know) finally exercises its Christian and Catholic morals over national policy (there is that little line in the Ten Commandments that says, "Thou shalt not kill," you see).
Of course, such earthshaking change creates an equally intense reaction from both sides. Victims of heinous crimes are adamant that those found guilty of such crimes be put to death; those of the more temperate and Christian variety find the President’s move to be better late than never. But detractors fear that the commutation of death sentences and the abolition of the death penalty is sending the wrong signal to would-be perpetrators of dastardly crimes.
Racking up a large number of fear votes is the issue of the unified ID system. The Supreme Court has recently ruled it constitutional and therefore legal. To those who oppose the concept, such a step strikes fear into their hearts because it brings the country one step closer to a system that could be abused and used to harass or incriminate private citizens.
The strengthening Philippine peso has been on the headlines of business sections these past few weeks. The forecast sees it strengthening even further in the coming months. Financial experts are celebrating this seemingly good and much-needed fortune; administration financial strategists are taking the credit for the economic reforms that supposedly made this possible.
On the other hand, the country’s exporters are crying "foul" over this development. The export industry, being one of the largest revenue-generating sectors of the country, will lose their advantage over other economies whose currency is worth less. In the long term, they fear that this change will ultimately bring down the struggling export sectors in information and electronics technology.
My good friend at the corner of T.M. Kalaw and Roxas Boulevard has taken to people-watching of late. Having taken flight from an ecologically unstable Banahaw and transplanted himself in the middle of urban congestion, he has brought his sublime philosophical thoughts to more down-to-earth and pragmatic lessons. With a better appreciation for the material needs (and wants) of the sophisticated Filipino, he now says that, even beyond the fear of change, the fear of losing what one has earned as a result of change is the greatest fear of all. Clearly, his wisdom evolves as his experiences provide him more insights. I drop a five-peso coin in his open palm.
But this new insight might explain many of the curious goings-on that we’ve been privy to. Consider, for instance, public officials who are unable to perform the ultimate sacrifice, and refuse to give way to a public clamor for change. How about the elusive bureaucrats who fail "lifestyle checks" and have gone AWOL, or top-ranking officers who tow the line, if only to preserve the status quo (and their comfortable lifestyles). Truly, I believe my philosopher friend was inspired.
Such fear may be turned to an advantage, however. Having been forced down from the summit, my friend believes he can reclaim new heights of success, if only figuratively. He sees many opportunities for him in the lowlands; sure, begging at a street corner is a temporary inconvenience for him. He plans on founding a new religion, to cater to the needs and wants of lonely, rich matrons. Combining the dexterity of a yoga master and the athleticism of a Pilates trainer, he says he can help others scale peaks of spiritual fulfillment just by joining his planned school. Sure, he says, he has many anxieties about making it in the city, but it is his fear and apprehensions that are keeping him very much rooted to the ground. It is a healthy way to confront change and to manage fear.
The next time you find yourself near the intersection of T.M. Kalaw and Roxas Boulevard, you might just find the Banahaw guru cross-legged on one of the street corners. Spare him some change (no less than a five-peso coin, mind) and maybe he can share with you some more profound insights on change. Unless, of course, you’re afraid of losing small change.
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