My friend called my attention some time last week. She warned me to be careful about my posts, especially during this time of crisis. Apparently, she has just seen my post about my digiperm, where I mentioned that my digiperm at Bang’s Tony & Jackey cost P7,000. She thought I have just gotten that perm, and that my blogging about it may paint me as a selfish, uncaring biyotch. I did not take offense, because I know this friend of mine…I know her well enough to know that she does think of me that way, and that she was just playing the devil’s advocate.
Shoot me! Sorry naman! Image lifted from memegenerator.net
At the onset, I decided to shrug it off and not to bother with posting something about it. But my friend told me that I may be a “celebrity” in my own right, and that I influence my readers’ thoughts. Feeling n’ya sikat ang friendship n’ya eh, hahaha! So here goes.
Guys, if you also thought of me that way, sorry if I offended you. But if you read my post carefully, I mentioned there that I went to Bang’s Tony & Jackey in MARCH this year. Yes, March pa ‘yun, as in more than half a year before Yolanda. As for my second perm at a local parlor, it happened in October even before we went to Bangkok. So it was way BEFORE Yolanda again. Moreover, if you’re a blogger, you’d know it’s a normal practice to post the items and services a blogger buys and gets. And as for posting the costs, normal lang din po ‘yun. One of the major reasons why a blog exists is to be some sort of catalogue and reference. Hindi sa yabang ‘yun. Guys alam n’yo naman na kahit mga shopping escapades ko sa Divisoria, sa Novo, at mga ukay finds ko hindi ko ikinahihiya.
But now you ask: Did I do anything to help the Yolanda victims?
Image lifted from biblicalspirituality.wordpress.com
I mentioned in a previous post that I am really shy when talking about my helping people. I said I’m flamboyant about many things but this is something I don’t like to flaunt. Ewan ko kung bakit, but I’m wired that way. I don’t broadcast that we paid for three chemotherapy sessions of a relative, or how we attempted to pay for the glaucoma meds or operation of someone not even related to us. Or what we contributed to the Ondoy victims years ago, or that I gave a sizeable abuloy to the parents of Rochel Geronda when I went to her wake. Pero ayan, I’m already giving you hints. I may look like I’m just pakipot na kunwari ayaw mag-broadcast ng tulong as I’m opposing what I said. But if it will make those who “admire” me (however few you are) want to be giving as well, bahala na. At least, if ever you look up to me, you won’t think that I deem it OK not to help when our countrymen are in dire need.
Yes, we did our share in helping Yolanda victims. Not just financially but personally. I may not have actually gone to the Visayas or to Villamor, but our vehicles, the food we cooked and goods we packed reached there.
I could not bring myself to pose with the goods and all. That the Red Cross and the wives of Philippine Air Force officials were allegedly fighting over who gets to distribute the goods (and in turn receive the glory) makes me feel sick. While I agree with Joey Tribianni (FRIENDS!) that there are no unselfish good deeds (because it makes you feel good, so that makes it selfish), and that there’s also nothing wrong with sharing how much you have helped on social media, fighting over who gets to be the one who would receive all the glory (and get to post the most number of “We are helping” photos on IG) is a whole new level. To think that they’ll probably just be repacking the goods that came from other people.
I have also posted Facebook status messages about the sorry state of our kababayans but I did not overkill. Honestly, ayokong mag-post-post ng “Here’s how we can help” kung wala naman akong planong tumulong through that. I don’t want to feel as though I’ve already done something simply by hitting the “Share” button of someone else’s status (but I have nothing against those who did that—these people still helped through information dissemination…at least in that aspect they helped create awareness). I only posted when I saw an opportunity by which I know I could help and that my help will really reach those who need it.
Anyway, it really is not my goal for you to think I’m some kind of saint for being generous and helpful and all, and “humble” for not wanting to broadcast it and was just forced to do so. BARF! That really isn’t I. Honestly, I’d rather you think of me as this woman full of chutzpah who sometimes gets in trouble for being brutally frank and for having oozing self-confidence. And ayoko ring isipin n’yong generous talaga ako…mamaya utangan n’yo pa ako! Hahaha!
But then again, I owe it to my “fans” (told yah…chutzpah! Oyyy ise-search na nila ano’ng meaning nun! Mwehehehe!) to send the message that WE. NEED. TO. HELP. Life goes on for the rest of us—there’s nothing wrong about still having fun and buying stuff for ourselves—but once in a while, we need to open our hearts to those who are in DIRE need, and share with them what God has given us. Remember, we are but stewards of His riches. He sure would want us to share the riches we have with His other children, diba?
‘Yan lang guys. Ayoko na ng madramang post. Babooshka!
PS: If you’re wondering what’s up with my title…well it’s because it’s inevitable some of you may think this basically opposes what I said on THIS POST and what I said about the standard bearer of the United Oppositions Party.
Related articles across the web
Tell me what you think!
Powered by Facebook Comments
Leave a Reply