THE happy beat of a song doesn’t always mean its lyrics are happy, too.
For example, try listening to Swedish House Mafia’s “Don’t You Worry Child” which you must have danced to once upon a time. Lively, isn’t it? But its lyrics are not: “There was a time/I used to look into my father’s eyes/In a happy home/I was a king, I had a golden throne/Those days are gone/Now they’re memories on the wall… My father said/Don’t you worry, don’t you worry, child/See heaven’s got a plan for you/Don’t you worry, don’t you worry now.”
At least the song makes us feel hopeful: “Don’t you worry, don’t you worry now.” And that must be the reason for its upbeat rhythm: to make us feel hopeful.
The barangay official who ran for reelection in the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections but lost should adopt the song as his mantra since he may be able to relate with it: “I had a golden throne/Those days are gone/Now they’re memories on the wall.”
All along I thought the BSKE is kind of a game that barangay residents play, you know, like Trip to Jerusalem. But thanks to this year’s BSKE for revealing that it should not be taken lightly, especially in Cagayan de Oro, after that alleged P6,000-per-voter ulan-ulan went viral. Yes, it seems like I haven’t moved on from that phenomenon yet. Haha.
Seen from the voter’s point of view, the P6,000 was indeed manna from heaven, and his fellow Pinoy couldn’t blame him for treating it that way.
Life is difficult—that’s a given. But in Pinas, life can even be more difficult. That’s why it’s not politically correct to complain here about your multi-million—or billion—peso loans, your luxury car that happens to be a lemon, your leaking swimming pool, your Hermes Birkin that needs restoration, the total amount of money you spent for the trip to Jerusalem, etc. Because only a few people can relate with that.
Instead, talk about the price of rice. Kind of like that saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
Besides, why did you go to Jerusalem, anyway? Haven’t you heard? Tsk tsk.
“War, war is stupid and people are stupid/And love means nothing in some strange quarters,” as Culture Club’s “The War Song” goes. And we used to dance to that way back in the ‘80s. Whew.
While lining up at the cashier at a supermarket, I couldn’t help overhearing a grim discussion of the Israel and Ukraine wars, no thanks to the people right behind me. I wanted to tell them, Hush! Shopping for groceries is one of my coping mechanisms—it relaxes me. And there they were, talking about wars, as if they need more bad news while dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic’s aftermath.
Like the P6,000-per-voter ulan-ulan, can these wars be considered also as elephants in the room that people may ignore? Because for a while there, Pinas did try to ignore the Covid-19 threat when it first hit the news in the earlier part of 2020.
Pinas will cross the bridge when it gets there? Hmmm. Okay.
