The Big O

In memory of my recent trip to northern California, these big O's were the issues majority of the Americans are dealing with. Call it an outrageous outbreak or even obscene.

Obesity. One evening, my friend and I went to a local diner called Denny's. It was like a scene from those American movies in the eighties where the lights are dim and the seats smelled musty. The menu had the typical all-American fare of steaks, potatoes and creamy desserts. After staring at the pictures in the menu for a couple of minutes, something fancied my eye. A young couple sitting across my table feasting on nearly-empty plates of burgers, fries, steaks, milkshakes and cheesecakes with vanilla ice cream.

Oh, let me help you imagine it vividly. Filipino serving times three. Oh my goodness, what is this beautiful gothic girl doing in a heavy body like that? Fat, big or plump couldn't quiet describe the size. That was how I finally understood the word obese.

"And your order ma'am?" I took a deep breath and said no thanks. I was already full looking at the couple eat their meal. I realized it's the interiors and the music of the diner that makes you want to eat heavily and not think of a light meal. Visuals are the first thing to consider when having a meal as most people eat with their eyes and not listen to what their body needs.

As I look around me, 8 out of 10 people I meet are obese. It felt like wearing a lot of winter coats everyday. Inspired by the suicide bombers, maybe the American government is slowly programming their citizens for war against Middle East nations by deploying obese people to the scene in situ of dwindling soldiers. What are these people trying to protect by wearing a big body like that? Is that part of their national defense costume where obese people do not strap bombs on themselves, instead they are human time bombs waiting to explode.

The culprit is convenience. One can order just about anything and have it delivered right at their doorstep. That is why most Americans are stuck in their big lazy-boy couches flicking the remote controls and not getting enough outdoor activities, hence making them paranoid.

Welcome to Obese City where everything in America is big. Big servings. Big bucks. Big egos.

Organic. My favorite activity when traveling is to visit the local supermarkets. The shelves dictate the lifestyle of the locals. One big thing to hit the shelves is organic produce. I always hear people ask "Is this an organic non-GMO product?" There's a long list for unsafe produce for human consumption.

GMO is genetically modified organism whose DNA protein structure has been altered for research purposes to combat diseases. America is now going back to basics as we Filipinos have been doing most of the time. It is funny why we try to be like the Americans only to find out how miserable their citizens are because they do not enjoy their freedom as we do in our country. Everything is so systematic that permission is granted to fart publicly.

Orgasm. A couple of peace activists decided to protest against war by declaring December 22, 2006 The Global Orgasm for Peace day in line with the winter solstice celebration. Their goal is to have an orgasm on that day while focusing on world peace. There are no rules on when, where or how the orgasm will be achieved as long as it is done simultaneously on that day. For details, visit www.globalorgasm.org. Come as you are.

I think most people are walking in an orgasmic state because their minds are blank. Orgasm is a form of release, especially pent up emotions. That emotional force fuels our creativity, giving us the power to move things to greater heights. Whether peace or ecstasy is achieved after an orgasm, don't forget to enjoy the process along the way. After all, the universe came to be after the big bang.

As my friend HelKat wrote, "So I say to you, 'the world is your Oyster.' Pretend for a moment that you can go anywhere and do anything. What would you do? Where would you go? Just hoping I can open a few doors in your mind while I search for an unlocked door in mine..."

Sometimes there are doors that are there but aren't meant to be opened. They're just there for symmetrical purposes and they lead to nowhere. Glass doors change our point of view, just like glass oyster cases. Maybe then, we wouldn't be as gung-ho over prying them open.

While we're at it, let's just yank all the doors out and defragment our minds!