Decoded

Seat 54E onboard CX882 bound for LA. Beside me, a mother pointed out to her three-year-old child a picture of a butterfly and asked, "What is this?" Hana replied in French, "papillion".

Three days ago, I saw a black butterfly outside the porch as I was about to turn off the night light. The next day, it flew by the driveway. That night, as I was on my way to the parking lot from the supermarket, perched beside my car was a big black butterfly. I had to stop on my tracks and ask myself what were these butterflies trying to tell me.

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Two weeks earlier, I booked my trip to a remote island in Palawan a month in advance. Since it will be my retreat from civilization, I decided to bring some of the stuff I don't need anymore to give away to the less fortunate. As I was packing my stuff, I had this strange feeling that I was preparing for the inevitable --- death. After stuffing two boxes, I just had to stop.

I dreamt that a lady was eager to read my destiny on her deck of cards. The man beside her kept on touting me to ask questions. What the heck, this is just a dream and I've got nothing to lose. So I asked her "when will I die?" She laughed and answered, "You will die soon!" "I know", I smiled without fear or hesitation.

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Last week, I was at the edge of boredom when I woke up one morning and asked myself where will life lead me next. I then received an SMS from a friend in LA asking me when I will drop by. I jumped out of bed and decided to book my flight to LA as soon as possible before I change my mind and knock some sense into my head.

I still felt paranoid for some reason after I purchased my plane tickets and booked my hotel that my friend sent an SMS and three e-mails asking me to extend my stay for the Memorial Day weekend. I accidentally booked my hotel the day before I was to arrive so I had to re-book again through the Internet. I didn't want to mess up my schedule so the least I can do is to change my departure time to an hour late. I figured if anything goes wrong, the most I can do is die consciously, knowing I've enjoyed my life.

* * *

I can't believe I sat through almost three hours watching the movie, The Da Vinci Code. Since I got invited to the movie, the least I can do is enjoy the popcorn. After the first twelve minutes, I was bored. All the hooplah surrounding the movie was ridiculous. There wasn't even a torrid kissing scene but just the idea that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were linked romantically didn't even sound exciting. Can't a human being profess love for another human being without the media frenzy? They're being treated like the Tom-Kat or Brangelina blitz.

The movie ending made me realize that whatever our destiny is, we just have to stop running away and accept it. Symbols and codes appear in our lives at certain times pointing out clues and directions. It is up to us to be aware of them and by listening to ourselves, we then interpret it according to our innermost truth. We, as Filipinos, have our own set of beliefs and superstitions. Some of the things we habitually do, like elect leaders that corrupt our country, have to be examined if our choices are based on blind faith or learned decisions. We're just so used to being taken advantaged that we tend to be dependent on other countries to help us solve our national issues.

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On the day of my departure early in the morning, a yellow cockatoo was perched outside my water garden. How strange it is to see an exotic bird so still, I thought it died standing up. I went up for a closer look and saw its tiny eyes looking at me for five minutes. Don't unfamiliar birds fly away when being approached? What message does this bird bring? The moment I tried to feed it, the bird flew away.

Butterflies symbolize transformation. We go through our ugly stages in life where we battle our fears and face our issues. In those moments of darkness, it is easy to lose sight of where we're going. Sometimes our inner light is weak and it flickers through the stormy weather. That is where our friends and loved ones come in. Each plays a role in our lives, where they remind us of beautiful memories that are stored in their hearts.

Birds symbolize freedom. No one can flourish in captivity. Every living being yearns to be free. Death is just a portal to a new life.

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Bored Again? salvation lies within you http://boredagain.blogs.friendster.com/bored_again/