there must be a better way...

Our conversation led to different topics like her maid (who is her only companion), her cats (her other non-human companions, he he!), the malunggay tree that she cut (because her neighbors were stealing its leaves, ha ha!), and her job that she "loves". We also talked about writing and photojournalism.

She lamented about the hardships she experiences while doing her job. Being a "social marketing specialist" in the goverment's public works projects (in Southern Philippines), she's having a hard time boosting the image of her agency. So as her recourse, she said, she's doing a different style of writing in their monthly journal.

Instead of the usual propaganda and detailed specifications of an infrastructure project and putting emphasis on a declaration, " through the initiative of congressman so and so", she uses a different mode of writing. She tells a story about the people who are benefitting from the projects...adding impact and drama to a 2 billion tax money worth of a newly built road or bridge.

She writes in the style that her story would capture the emotions of the readers...perhaps to instill in them and inspire them to change. However, this change she had initiated in their journal is not acceptable to her boss. Still, the boss would want the old way of reporting, which my friend thinks is no longer acceptable to the readers. So, it turned out that by slowly initiating change, she realized that she was also slowly making enemies. And we both agreed that people's lives are not improving because they refuse to change.

Speaking of writing to initiate change, she mentioned to me, Bob Ong and his style of writing ( I knew Bob Ong when I read his book, "Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ng Libro ang nga Pilipino?"). And we marvelled at Bob Ong's frankness and braveness to pinpoint the flaws of the Filipinos. His satires are real and awakening. His books capture the young readers' minds which I think is good because he wants to initiate change in the youth. She also introduced me to Bob Ong's latest book, Stainless Longganisa and I immediately found and bought the book from the National Bookstore.

One thing I've learned from the Stainless Longganisa is that, "reading goes with writing". With my limited exposures to books like Sweet Valley High and Mills and Boone when I was younger ( I grew up in the province), I'm glad that I played Scrabble and Squabble with college graduates and professionals when I was in grade 5. I also read "Laughter is the Best Medicine" and "Points to Ponder". My subscription to "The Plain Truth" (it was free!), and memorizing science trivias when I was joining the science quiz bees mattered.

I regret not joining Press Conferences when I was in the elementary and in high school. The Press Cons were always scheduled simultaneously with the Science Fairs. I've missed learning how to write when I opted joining the Science Fairs. I also regret not having exerted much effort to finish reading the classic novels... and if ever I've finished reading them because they were requirements in the English Lit. subject, I didn't gain interest in understanding them (nya ha ha!).

But it is never too late. Whenever I have time to read now, I read...and I read a lot! I never shut out my mind to new ideas.

Putting our mind to hibernation in the old and rigid norms can only contain us to the Dark Ages. A closed mind is a dead mind. Opening our minds and welcoming new and creative ideas can make us think better ways to bettering our lives. And making our lives better can inspire the others to do the same.