Enclosed cages

Netnet Camomot . 

THE Manila Zoo has been temporarily closed since Jan. 23 for rehabilitation as it was discovered to be a major cause of Manila Bay’s dire straits. With no visitors allowed, the zoo’s residents are finally savoring some peace and quiet.

But not Mali, the elephant. The zoo’s workers revealed that she loves to be visited. So, they try to spark her joy, complete with the usual photo ops that visitors tend to indulge in when they see her.

Mali happens to be the zoo’s most famous resident. She’s so famous, there has been an ongoing petition for her to be transferred to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, which she rightfully deserves after entertaining fans for 40 years now. Being with her fellow elephants is what will truly spark joy in her heart.

If it’s difficult to have a vegan diet, at least stop using animals as a source of entertainment by petitioning for them to be freed from zoos, circuses, safaris, ocean parks, theme parks, etc. Visit their natural habitats instead of watching them while they’re in cages and enclosures.

Meat as a food source has been proven to cause many diseases but since only a few have the absolute resolve to be vegan, the rest of us can perhaps switch to a plant-based diet which means more vegetables than meat on the plate.

It’s human nature to presume what should make someone else happy. So, for Mali, the zoo’s workers believe it’s the crowd that visits her daily.

Surely, there are people who suspect you’re lonely for not having what they believe are the sources of happiness. One such discourse last week began with the question, Are you happy? Which is usually asked by a sadsack who’s searching for another sadsack since misery loves company, preferably someone more miserable than the one asking the question.

Each person has his own definition for happiness. There’s the shark biologist who studies sharks and we’re making a wild guess they make him happy otherwise he would be focusing on plankton. Can you imagine yourself swimming with sharks? Will that spark joy in you?

There’s the herpetologist extracting venom from snakes. The arachnologist and his spiders. The entomologist dissecting a cockroach. To each his own. So, how dare you tell anyone what should make him happy.

Even food cravings are to each his own. There’s the friend who loves ampalaya, durian and balut. And then, there’s you—no to ampalaya, durian and balut.

There are people who love to read, and there are those who prefer to watch the book’s movie version.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s description of the US Democrats can be true for all, including non-politicians: “Our values unify us…the fact is that our diversity is our strength, the differences in so many different ways, including differences of opinion—that’s our strength. But our unity is our power…”

Unity in diversity. But people focus on what makes you different from them, and on why you’ve changed. Perhaps this has always been the real you and it’s only now that you can finally breathe and be free from their idea of who you should be. This must be the reason behind the famous quote, “Change is the only constant in life.”

But change is not what the Dilawan wanted in 2016 when President Rody Duterte won, and they tend to reject his idea of what Pinas should be. Looking at the present batch of Dilawan senatoriables, there’s at least one Dutertard who believes that senatoriables Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go can defeat them all. Well, unless there’s confusion along the way, i.e., the Pinoy voter thinking Robin Padilla is running for senator since he stars as Dela Rosa in the latter’s biopic.

Go will also have his story told via ABS-CBN’s “Maalaala Mo Kaya” on Feb. 9.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” as the saying goes.

For now, Go occupies fifth place in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey for senatoriables while Dela Rosa is 13th, excluding him from the Magic 12. Hmmm. Go’s Malasakit Center could be the secret behind his SWS success.

Meanwhile, the world continues to turn despite the pollution, animal cruelty, diversity, Election 2019 and things that don’t spark joy, because it’s Earth’s nature to survive.