The elderly Senator asked me: “Anong kalokohan will you be writing about in your column?”
Somehow I imagined that the good Senator was merely taking a cheap shot at the one or two occasions I have disagreed or criticized his position, or perhaps, his poor choice of the word “kalokohan” fails or vaguely encapsulates mischief, naughtiness or my downright silliness.
Whatever the case, I don’t take offense or put meaning into the statement, considering I have recently found myself saying stupid or regrettable words on three occasions in just one week. It was certainly not my intention but somehow, once the words come out of your mouth, they take the form of puke. Your stomach jettisons the vile things and your body turns away as if to disavow any relationship or knowledge of it.
This recent slip into the verbal pile of manure took me by surprise considering I have by the grace of God managed to reprogram my vocabulary for the last 21 years. The thing is, I not only slipped into uttering the PI word, but I even did a foot in mouth dialogue in my stupid attempt to be a comedian.
So this morning, I spent a good hour psycho analyzing myself and asking what triggered this series of unfortunate events. Being human, it came easy to come up with excuses such as: I’m just cranky because of late nights and lack of sleep, or it’s just the weather, or the situation triggered it.
Then the guilt trip started to crawl in, courtesy of the being with horns and tail. Suddenly it’s a religious issue such as you didn’t pray enough or you haven’t been reading enough of the good book etc. Yes even the devil quotes scriptures remember?
Whatever it was, I clearly said stupid things and the only way to turn that around is to admit it, then go to the best text that addresses the problem. In this case the book of James is as real as it gets. In chapter 3:2 he says: “We all stumble in many ways.”
Just to know that it’s par for the course immediately takes away the false guilt that the devil dumps on us. Sure you messed up, but who hasn’t. It does not make it right. It just makes it lighter.
Then he reminds me of what I just experienced; 3:5 “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” Thankfully, my triple blunder did not spark any great fire, but it did challenge my status as a “Christian.” What sort of testimony do I give considering the utterance of my mouth?
James 3:9-10 says a mouthful about the problem: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and father, and with it we curse men who have been made in the image and likeness of God. My brothers, this should not be.”
I would also add, that the company you keep or expose yourself to will greatly influence your language. Whether it’s western films, local radio or simply people you hang out with even for a short while, chances are the language they use will rub off on you.
After one week of saying stupid things and having my foot in my mouth, I will simply have to remember the saying: “Birds of a feather, flock together.”
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The recent China-Philippines standoff has started to spin off various responses from media and the public. DZBB Anchorman Rene Sta. Cruz has called on his listeners to boycott China made products and a campaign to expose businessmen and smugglers dealing with China made products. Even the leftist groups have criticized China for bullying the Philippines and trying to grab its territory.
I have even suggested JOKINGLY that the Philippines should invite trainers and consultants from Somalia, or offer Scarborough Shoals to the Abu Sayyaf.
But levity aside, the recent standoff gives us a number of lessons.
I know that there have been so many calls to stand behind the President so that we are one on the issue. Nonetheless, the standoff teaches us not to start something we can’t finish and to always start with a plan. Patriotism and patrimony are great and lofty ideas, but only if you have the backbone and “weapons” to back you up.
More importantly, we are once again reminded that military strength takes decades to build up and the only short cut to that is to partner with a nation that has it’s own interests to protect. In the case of the Philippines and the United States, the only way the Americans will involve itself is if we host them lock, stock and barrel.
The United States Military is not some global rent-a-cop whose forces can sit in a shed while patrolling the area. Their Air Force must have a land based jump off point, a naval facility from which to service and dock their boats. Unfortunately because of some misfits in the US military and the rabble rousing leftists and misguided politicians, we have made sure that the US or any other nation never sees the welcome mat within the Philippines.
How can we call upon a nation to defend and protect us when we treat them as badly as we portray the Chinese? We cannot have our cake and eat it too. The Japanese nation and government has gone from hated enemy to global ally of the Americans. They have successfully managed and benefitted from the presence of US Forces in spite of a handful of untoward incidents. The key word has always been managing, not denying. For now it is matter a of choosing the lesser of two “evils.”
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