Rollercoaster Ride

There are just some things you never gave a thought about. Until you met people from that background, country or culture.

When the news tell of realities from another part of the world, or a group of people  we’re not actually aware of, they don’t hit home. Until they’re actually at home. There are people we know who’ve intermarried into other classes, cultures, races and religions, and often, we hear "My parents are going to smack me.’ And sometimes, they actually do.

It’s true: it is rather inconvenient not to have the same practices and beliefs as your chosen partner. But it’s hard enough to find your soul mate, much less have him or her molded into the standards of the family or the community. Basically, it’s easiest when the partner you chose is just like you. In our case, a Filipino Catholic  - respectful, obedient and humble. But surely, these human traits are not exclusive to Filipino Catholics. Or Chinese Filipinos. Or   African Americans. Or the Jewish. These honorable traits are found in people all over the world. And so, why do we have to marry one of the million, and not one of the billion?

Instead of focusing on our differences, we should learn to recognize our similarities. We are all human beings. We are all embodied spirits that are striving to live a meaningful and happy life. Beings that ask why, and why not. Beings that laugh, and cry, and think, and wonder. Beings that think about the past and the future, while trying to live the present to the fullest.

I just read in the news this morning that a man was arrested for having repeated sex with a horse.  I hope that that kind of relationship between a human and an animal will be the only one frowned upon and condemned by our societies. That is indecent, inhuman. But to love somebody, who’s poorer, who’s darker, who’s disabled, who’s shorter, who’s fatter, who sees another face of God, is decent in its very core. Some people even marry agnostics or atheists. But they are still human beings, and not horses.

Not only is love blind. Love is also inconvenient.  But that doesn’t make it less real or worthy.

Link to published column (online version)
http://philippinenews.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=f23c9a35bcb82574d1fd09b59389a09d

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 18th, 2007 at 9:37 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.