Changes

* from Google Images

Everyone thinks of changing the world BUT no one thinks of changing himself. – Leo Tolstoy

The rainy season came while I was still in Manila. While we at home weren’t exactly affected much from the downpour, I have a very good idea of how it is to experience wading and slopping through murky flood water. I grew up in Sta. Mesa, Manila and we’d almost always be underwater, lasting for days, during the stormy months.

There’s also this punishment of getting stuck in hours upon hours of traffic, making the highways look nothing more than a huge parking lot. If traffic wasn’t enough of a difficulty, imagine also the unavailability of public transport, commuters being subjected to unscrupulous drivers averse to plowing flooded streets and so charge the poor wet and cold individual an obscene amount of money for fare.

And then you hear in the news how Manila residents are actually even irritated at the slow response of the government to provide a solution to the flooding.

Like, duh?

People of the Philippines, why always think our problems are because the government isn’t doing enough? Why can’t we conclude that sometimes, sometimes lang naman, the problem isn’t getting solved because we are not doing our part to be a solution to the problem?

Gobyerno ba ang may kasalanan sa baha? Bakit? Sila lang ba ang nagtatapon ng basura sa daan at mga estero? Batas? Anong batas? Tayo-tayo din naman ang bumabali sa batas. Ano ‘yun?

Leo Tolstoy is right. We want change? How can the world change when we, in our own simple way, are not willing to accept nor undergo change?

Wala lang, I’m just ranting.