BEING RESPONSIBLE

When I was a kid, you know what? My favorite viand is “Nilagang Baka or Bulalo” and every time my mom
cooks that food, I always saw fork and even a matchstick in the aluminum casserole. Have you experienced
that with your moms as well na kapag nagpapalambot sila ng karne ay may palito ng posporo o kaya tinidor?
So, I asked my Mom: “Ma! bakit may nalaglag na tinidor at may palito ng posporo dito sa nilaga? Baka
malason pa tayo nito”. And my Mom said: “Ganyan talaga para madaling lumambot. Yan ang turo ng lola
mo at nakikita ko noong maliit pa kami.” That time, I was scratching my head and could not believe that
these things can soften and tenderized the meat. Out of curiosity, since I did not get scientific explanation
from my Mom; I called my Lola (grandmother): “Nay! Sabi ni Mama kapag nagpapalambot ng karne ay
lagyan ng tinidor para mabilis lumambot o kaya palito ng posporo. Bakit?” “Yan tinuro saken ng Nanay ko
at siyang tunay naman na mabilis na lumambot ung karne ng baka kapagmay ganun” the response of my
grandmother. “Bakit nga may ganun? May tinidor lang lumambot na?” I asked my grandmother and she
replied with: “Huwag ka nang maraming tanong, ganun talaga. Kung ayaw mong may ganun e di gamitin
mo na lang pressure cooker ninyo. Tapos” that was my grandmother’s rebuke.

I checked the internet and even posted my question in a forum pero halos lahat ng sagot nila ay nalaman
lang nila yung technique sa pagluluto na iyon sa kanilang walang mga Nanay. Ilang generations ang
nakalipas pero hanggang ngayon ay may mga gumagawa pa din niyan kasi iyan ang kanlang nakaugalian
at paniniwala.

Almost every behavior that has demonstrated the world right now, ay galing kay ganito, kay ganyan. Pero
wala ni isa man ang tumayo at tinake ang responsibility, because we can easily point the fault to somebody
else. Anyone can blame. But at what point do we stand in front of the mirror and pointed ourselves. Do you
know what? maybe I am actually part of the problem. Right now, we are surrounded by a disproportionate
amount of entitled individuals who think they deserve a better world, but they're willing to do nothing to
create it.

Lahat ng kasamaan sa mundo ngayon ay hindi nman bago, matatagal na ito. Pero salamat sa Social Media
kasi naglalabasan at naeexpose na yung mga ganitong pangyayari hindi katulad dati. Tiklop o bayad ang
media. Pagpatay sa mga inosenteng mamayan para labanan ang droga ay isa sa mga adbokasiyang “War
on Drugs” na walang away pagpapatay sa mga gumagamit at maling mga reports hinggil dito. Police
brutality, at pagpatay sa mga mamayang walang kalaban laban dahil sa ginagamit nila ang kanilang powers
dahil sila ay may mga baril. Rape dahil sa nakadroga o nalainom ay mga matatagal na issues na yan but
now, people have the capacity to video tape. The only difference is, rape victims can speak up, families of
the victims can easily raise their concern and attack back. This is all news, and one or two things is going
to happen. Manonood na lang ba tayo or we will say to ourselves that “This is enough?” At what point do
we break the cycle, at what point do you stop using the fork and a matchstick to soften the meat?

Maraming mga tao ay bineblame ang gobyerno kasi ganito, kasi ganyan pero ang tanong ko When are you
going to take responsibility? Kailan ka magiging responsable at titigil sa kakangawa mo pero wala ka naman
ginagawa? Would you be okay if your children replicated, every single behavior that you're demonstrating
right now? Because guess what, that's what's happening. You're either an example, or you're warning.
Choose wisely.

Halos dalawang taon na tayo nasa pandemya at kasabay nito, we have experienced a lot of fires, volcanic
eruptions with earhquakes, storms etc. Ang sakit ay mahalaga at dito tayo natututo pero huwag na nating
gawing makabukuhan. Humanap na tayo ng solusyon at huwag ng ipaubaya sa gobyerno ang ating mga
hapdi at kahirapang natatamasa.

Sigmund Freud said: “Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility,
and most people are frightened of responsibility.” Kung gusto mong maging parte ng History, you have to
start writing in your Book of Life, your legacy and start questioning yourself: “What do you want your legacy
to be and what do you want to be remembered for?” Either you give up your life or you can just live now
and take responsible in all of your actions. The choice is yours.