Sometimes truth can't set us free

Overheard in a university campus: “Kon magpinusilay ang mga tigas nga sakop sa frats pasagdan lang unta sa polis. Mas maayo gani kon mangatodas sila.”

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Overheard in a fastfood joint: “If I were Katrina, but oh, my God, I will never be Katrina. I have a different kind of upbringing. Hehe!”

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Overheard in a ladies restroom by a janitress: “Piskot ining ok-oka ay. Nagdahom tingali si Hayden siya.”

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As a highlight of the June 12th celebration, a reader has come up with this suggestion: “Let every member of the Senate and House sing acapella the National Anthem. Just for kicks lang.”

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I remember one Independence Day some years ago. During the flag ceremony that kicked off the program, a congressman known for his being an elementary school graduate was seen and heard singing the National Anthem. All eyes were trained at him not because of his croaking voice but because of his left hand over his chest. “Walhon man gud na si Sir,” someone kind of justified the error.

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I saw on tv a group of farmers demonstrating in front of the Bataan. They were brandishing lighted torches by the dozens. Is this allowed? Apparently it is. But in the US and Japan, where authorities are careful about fires, this is prohibited as such act is considered a “fire hazard.”

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I remember that during a Filipiniana show in New York, the Pandanggo sa Ilaw dancers performed without their “Ilaw” lighted. The N.Y. Fire Department, one of the best fire departments in the world, considered the “Ilaw” a hazard.

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Former Police Supt. Cezar Mancao II is back. He has vowed to tell the truth about the Dacer-Corbito murder. Will the truth set him free?

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You know, sometimes the truth can’t set us free. As one European proverb says: “He who tells the truth must run and hide.”

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I received this note from a senior HS student who signed her name as Letecia Quintos: “Sir, my teacher has asked me to get the words of the Serenity Prayer. What does it say?”

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The Serenity Prayer: “O God, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” (Thanks, Letecia, for giving me the chance to be of help to you. — JVJ)

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