Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.


Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Survivor Story

My Random Thoughts: 100th Visitor

Today, this blog was visited by its 100th visitor from Australia, since I started last August. Wow it really feels like its the 1,000,000th!

It is heart warming to know that internet users from around the world showed interest in my work, most especially in my thoughts. To all of you who dropped by, thank you for all the kind words, for the time and effort.

Hope there will be more visitors in the years to come.

My Random Thoughts: A Blind Man Wins Big

Today a blind man won more than four hundred thousand pesos (P400,000.00) in "Kapamilya Deal or No Deal?" This is the adaptation of the famous NBC game show in the US which is hosted by Ms. Kris Aquino here in the Philippines.

What is so admirable about the guy, Crisanto, is that although he is blind he was able to find a real life partner who was a polio victim. They both met at a reflexology seminar. Together they look very happy and content with their situation. What one lacks physically is complimented by another. They are blessed with children too which makes their life truly complete.

My Random Thoughts: Paypal Now In The Philippines

Yesterday I signed up for my very first Paypal account after I saw an announcement in one of the forum I frequently visit that it was already available here in the Philippines. I've been wanting to have Paypal ever since I became an eBay member for several years now. In fact I wrote Paypal a couple of times to request that my country be included in their list.

It is difficult to transact at eBay or other internet sites if you do not have Paypal. You have to go through different channels to be able to purchase for the things you won at the auction and you have to pay for the additional service for sending money orders to US sellers. And since eBay is now also available in the Philippines it would be a great help in terms of secured payment and faster execution of buying and selling transaction if Paypal would also be available here.

One setback though is that it can only send payments but not receive payments or withdraw funds through Paypal. I am hoping that this is just the initial phase for the eventual offering of its full range of services. I feel we must have the full service of Paypal if electronic commerce or e-commerce will flourish in this country.

That is why I signed up for the campaign Paypal Now! which I think is a worthy initiative. It launched a signature campaign to ask Paypal to offer its full range of services here in the Philippines.

Quotable Quotes: Trusting God

"When you can't see the Father's hand, trust His heart." Dr. Harold J. Sala

My Random Thoughts: Killer Billboards

One week after typhoon Milenyo (international name Xangsane) wreaked havoc in the streets of Metro Manila last September 28, 2006, the damages that the strong typhoon brought are still evident. People who have lost their homes are trying to piece together what was left of their belongings. Power supply and telephone lines in different parts of the city have not been fully restored. Huge billboards that fell during the fury of the typhoon that killed a number of people are still major traffic obstructions for motorists. The government has initiated plans to limit the construction of these killer billboards along the busiest thoroughfare in the metropolis, the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue or more popularly known as EDSA which was long overdue.

It is an irony that the Philippines is always visited by no less than 20 typhoons a year and yet people and government are always unprepared and caught by surprise when nature unleashes its fury. The untimely death of these people could have been avoided had we followed the laws and implemented it correctly. It is a bitter lesson for everyone.

True Stories: Artists Without Hands At Work

“God really walked the earth and performed marvelous things like what he did to me, he gave me strength to live inspite of my birth defect. On behalf of my fellow artists, we would like to thank you for your support over the years.”

This statement was written by Amado Dulnuan, holding the pen on his foot. Yes! He writes using his foot and not only that he creates beautiful paintings too. He is a member of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (AMFPA). This is a worldwide organization of talented mouth and foot painting artists. The slogan of the organization is “Artists Without Hands at Work, Self-Help Not Charity.” Now on its 50th year, the organization’s main thrust is to give all members the opportunity to completely support themselves through the sales of their paintings reproduced as cards, calendars, and other items.

Here in the Philippines, there are only a handful of painters who are being supported by the organization. Amado Dulnuan, who was born without arms. Despite his condition he was still able to finish his studies in the university. He specializes in water colors and has won many prizes for his works. He is married and has children.

Jovy Sasutona, lost his use of hands in a diving accident. He was encouraged by Amado to develop his talent in painting and drawing with the use of his mouth. Also a victim of a diving accident, Victor Largosa was born in Cebu, the Philippines’ queen city of the south. He specializes in oil painting using his mouth. His wife left him and their two daughters so he had to struggle hard enough to support his children.

Bernard Pesigan was paralyzed from the neck down due to a motorcycle accident when he was 20 years old. He took up mouth painting and was later granted stipend by the AMFPA.

Rogelio Francisco, had cervical cord injury with quadriplegia. He learned to paint on his own by gripping a brush between his teeth. In 1993 the Association granted him his first stipend.

It is really amazing how these people could make beautiful works of art and make use of their God given talents despite their limitations. But with the advent of instant messages through cell phone, e-mail and the internet, greeting cards have become less popular especially to the younger generation. So I could imagine the difficulty the organization as well as the individual members are experiencing right now. I hope the association could find alternative solution for supporting these talented individuals who rely on them for their livelihood.

As the Christmas Season nears wouldn’t it be nice to send our greetings filled with warmth and thoughtfulness the old fashion way?