PARADOXICAL

𝐖𝐡𝐨'𝐬 𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠? 𝐖𝐡𝐨'𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?

It's simply amazing how the same incident could be looked upon by two groups of people so differently, as in diametrically opposite ways. We, Filipinos, are especially notorious for it. As a society burdened with highly diversified levels of fragmentation, I think we have a special knack for it.

I've seen this constantly while growing up around people who didn't share my background: those who were not Pangasinense (Tagalog vs non-Tagalogs), did not grow up in Manila (city person/coño vs promdi), not belonging to the lower classes (rich vs poor), not Catholic (Catholic vs Protestants mostly), not pro-Marcos (loyalist vs oppositionist)… I can't quite forget the fierce school rivalries, and the seasonal clash about the basketball teams one was rooting for during the Philippine Basketball Association games on TV. The most vitriolic of them all also happens to be the pettiest: Noranians vs Vilmanians. (Recall, for instance, the showdown between Allan K and Leonard Obal in the hit show "Si Velma at Si Nura" in 1992 at The Library.) Life in the midst of all that antagonism on account of various socioeconomic differences is a constant debate on who or what is right or who or which is better.

For every point you raised (thesis), it was sure to be met with a retort (anti-thesis). It's a world of Hegelian dialectics without end, if you know what I mean. If you're not careful, you’d get convinced that everything is subjective, and there's no such thing as objective reality. It such a world, everyone can be easily accused of being in denial, having cognitive dissonance, and a victim of the Dunning-Kruger effect (or is that confirmation bias).

Once again, we are in the middle of such endless debates with no one willing to concede, what with the eruption of that meeting that transpired in the Oval Office between Trump and his so-called 'Make-America-Great-Again' (MAGA) gang. This was followed by an ex-president's arrest by the International Criminal Court. It is easy to get caught in the maelstrom of mudslinging between the two camps, the very much annoying divide between conservatives, often synonymous to Republicans, and so-called liberals, often synonymous to Democrats. Not to mention, the even more maddening divide back in home turf between the DDS ('Dutertards') and the Dilawans/Pinklawans. In each issue, who is telling the truth? Why, of course, the one you side with!

It's a crazy dystopic world out there, because there's no longer any debate at all. If no side is willing, or no longer willing, to listen to the contending side, or has already formed an opinion without even bothering to try looking at the other perspective, there’s no point in the exchange.

In one writing seminar of hers, I remember how a noted novelist once recounted how she had been invited to give a talk in a history convention of sorts. "History is no different from fiction," she said with a straight face and in front of rabid historians too. The historians didn't like what she said, she said, and I guess she was never invited again. But to prove her point to us, her writing class, she took note of the biggest news of the day, something about the First Lady, and pointed out how it was interpreted in opposite ways by two contending political parties. We in her audience laughed in unison. "See?", she said, implying how right she was.

I understand why the historians were aghast, though. If nothing is ever factual, if no interpretation of a given story is ever right and authoritative, then what is the use of studying history, what's the point of anything at all? As irked teachers of yesteryears would exclaim, "Let's just go home and plant camote!"

What kind of world is this when nothing seems valid anymore as long as it is contested by another party? ...when nothing holds water anymore just because someone is opposing it?

While it's true that humans will be humans, with weaknesses and blind spots, blind to bird's eye views (the big picture) and God's eye views (the complete picture), I'd like to believe that there is such a thing as objective reality, no matter whose viewpoint is questioned, no matter whose religious affiliation or political party is hurt. Fact is fact is fact. And opinion, even though it is just an opinion, must be based on fact for it to become a valid opinion. Otherwise, it would be plain nonsense.

Opinions are simply not equal because there is the reality of people getting confused and, worse, being dishonest and in denial, both deliberately and unconsciously. There are people who deliberately obfuscate things to advance a dubious agenda, withhold information resulting in missing pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, exaggerate, and/or proffer an irrational or skewed interpretation of reality due to several reasons (a host of psychological issues ranging from trauma to neurosis, hallucination, drug use, other addictions, to psychopathy and psychosis). There are delusional (delulu?) individuals who needed to be shaken and woken up from stupor. There are people who are barefaced liars or downright hallucinating psychopaths.

That's right. Some opinions are invalid because people being people, anyone of us can easily get caught up in various shades of untruth.

These days, there is the wretched reality of reportedly paid troll farms manipulating social media 'reacts,' making every content online highly suspect when you are gauging for the genuine pulse of the masses.

Who's wrong? Who's right? Truth doesn't seem to matter anymore in the ensuing cloud of confusion. I can understand it if it's a matter of partial truths coming together as in the Johari window or the four different versions of the same incident seen from various angles, as depicted in Akira Kurosawa's movie, "Rashomon." But distortion? Manipulation? Deception? And fake news? I'd say, heck, no way.

It is, therefore, hoped that history will always be the one to vindicate the truth in the end, the one to reward the brave truth-tellers and all those who sided with them. But alas, by then, all of us on the opposite sides of the fence would have been long gone by the time we could afford to gloat at our hard-won triumph or else weep upon our bitter defeat due to our mistake in perception. Fortunate then are those who would live long enough to enjoy that luxury in an ocean of the deluded, the fork-tongued, and kings and queens of the Nile.

Happy is the day when truth-twisters of all stripes will get their comeuppance in the unflinching, impartial judgment of time.

Then again, what are historians but mere human just the same, hardly immune from blinders, and therefore can be the most contentious lot? Just notice the lack of consensus in a lot of historical issues. Bias is everywhere, even in media, where history is constantly written in a hurry.

Fortunately, for me, I have been writing long enough to know that my reading or take on any subject matter could be wrong at a given time. I am greatly humbled by the discovery that the more things I know, the more things I know I don’t know. (Try to read that wonderful paradox on human knowledge again.)

And I am also fortunate to be at that age when my need for outside affirmation is close to nil. Having eaten humble pie many times through time (as a 'Marcos baby,' I used to be rabidly pro-Marcos -- just ask my high school classmates), I no longer derive satisfaction from engaging people in hot but fruitless debates on anything, unless I feel compelled to by circumstances or encounter really open-minded souls. On the other hand, since I no longer have a strong need to be right, I feel a lot more relaxed and a lot more free in saying anything I want because I am no longer coming from a direction of needing to repair something in the ego, but instead (or so I’d like to believe) simply want or choose to stick to what is honest and true and good for all.

In the face of popular contrarian opinions like these days when I am surrounded by -- nay, swamped by -- people on the other side of the political fence (I actually have a big problem with both sides), I can feel calm and confident in my own thought as long as I know it is well thought-out and based on hard evidence, while finding great consolation in this G.K. Chesterton thought --“Division is better than agreement in evil.” – on top of Carlo Carretto’s admonition: “Forgiving all (everyone and everything) is the apex of our life’s journey.”

I've learned that it is a lot easier to tolerate someone with an opinion different from mine by exerting an effort to follow their logic, to understand where he or she is coming from. Because of that, though I have not exactly developed a thick hide, I have become extremely tolerant of views opposed to mine, and am capable of being friends with people who don't share my beliefs. Compared to my compulsive younger self, I can now even admire people brave enough to air contrarian opinions, especially when it is not fashionable, especially when going against the grain, and most especially in this era of cancel-happy culture because I know how it feels.

I am presently at a place where I will never get tired of pursuing the truth (as I see it), no matter what (I hope), because for me, that's the only right thing to do, the only thing in life that matters. Why? Because God is truth himself. (On the other hand, it’s good for us to recall whose epithet "father of lies" belongs to.)

Pursuing truth and embracing it, then, is life's greatest enterprise and, in this apocalyptic nightmare of a world we now live in, as preternaturally described and dreamed up in detail by the likes of Orwell, Bradbury, and other secular prophets of doom, it’s the greatest adventure of a lifetime.

posted by Resty Odon  # 5:42 PM 0 Comments

As a long-time member of a Catholic charismatic community in Manila (a major aspect of my life which was interrupted when I came back home in 2016), I have been fortunate to listen to innumerable talks about the Christian faith. I eagerly absorbed them all. But when I listened to the social teachings of the Catholic church for the first time, I literally got dizzy trying to wrap my head around them. 

The talk was delivered by a very young but very able priest at the time, Rev. Fr. Rany P. Geraldino. 

Since the talk was a much-condensed version of what should have been delivered in several sessions, we in the audience had to deal with information overload owing to the novelty of the subject. On top of that, I had to grapple with this internal dialogue all along that said, "Filipino leaders who are Catholic never seem to pay attention to these," which of course upset me, as the negligence is one reason we live with such a degree of backwardness as a society. 

As a compulsive note-taker, I was not in my best element, as I was able to take down maybe only about 50% of the outline of the discussion, but I was still glad to take in as much.

“𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 – 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 '𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧'”

(𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝑪𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔.)

“The social teachings of the Catholic Church are the Church’s hidden treasure – emphasis on hidden,” Fr. Rany P. Geraldino says, by way of introduction to his talk on the admittedly heavy subject. And this, the Academic Prefect at the Archdiocese of Manila points out, is unfortunate, "because the social teachings of the Church are not a by-the-way or an add-on, but a constitutive part of the message of Jesus Christ.”

“Everything boils down to Jesus Christ’s message of love of God and of neighbor. These two are related, one can’t stand without the other. For how can you love God whom you can’t see, if you don’t love your neighbor whom you can see?” he goes on.

But who exactly is our neighbor? "The definition of ‘neighbor’ has evolved,” he explains, “from the Old Testament times, when neighbor meant ‘fellow Jew,’ to the Christian era, when ‘neighbor’ means ‘everyone in need’ (refer to the Good Samaritan story).” “And in modern times, ‘neighbor’ is expanded to mean the whole of society and the environment that influences the person.”

In other words, no one can afford to be "apolitical." No matter their station in life, “persons have a social responsibility. All actions have social consequences. There is an interdependent web of life. ‘Ang sakit ng kalingkingan ay sakit ng buong katawan.’ Everyone is considered our neighbor, a part of our family, a brother and a sister.”

(Being apolitical itself is, I guess, being political.)

“In 1891, Pope Leo XIII released the document ‘Rerum novarum’ to address a pressing social situation at the time of industrialization and rising socialism.”

“Eventually, the Compendium of the Social Teachings of the Church was crafted so that the kingdom of God may be felt even here on earth. (“Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”) Life on earth should be the beginning or foretaste of heaven.”

He then outlines the four sources of Catholic social teachings: scripture, Magisterium, experiences of the church, and dialogue with branches of knowledge.

For a quick backgrounder:

- "Even though the Bible is not a book of morality, not everything is in Scripture. Social teaching is always contextualized; not all issues emerged during Biblical times."

- "The Magisterium or teaching authority of the Church, includes papal encyclicals and pronouncements. We believe in the papal infallibility ex-cathedra, i.e., official positions in terms of faith and morals. Despite the Dark Ages the Church went through (14th-16th centuries), the Church’s faith and morals were preserved, the Church being both human (wicked, frail, weak) and divine, including the teachings of authorized Church bodies in the Second Vatican Council."

- "Experiences of the Church include the lives and teachings of the saints, and the engagements of the Church in present issues.

- "Dialogues with other branches of knowledge include consulting with experts in psychology, philosophy, medicine, bioethics, sociology, etc."

“Catholic social teachings are jokingly called the ‘hidden treasures of the Church’ because most people are not aware of them or ignore them. Understandably, there is the danger of Catholic social teachings becoming liberation theology, as in the case of priests like Oscar Romero who were reduced to being (leftist) activists. Catholic social teachings are not liberation theology!” he emphasizes.

“Catholic social teachings are more of principles than concrete lines of actions.”

“The main principles of Catholic social teaching are as follows. (Actually there are seven, to be more specific: 1. life and dignity of the human person; 2. call to family, community, and participation; 3. rights and responsibilities; 4. option for the poor and vulnerable; 5. the dignity of work and the rights of workers; 6. solidarity; and 7. care for God's creation).”

I. Primacy and Dignity of Human Person

“This means the person is the ultimate end, not the means to an end. Society is ordered to the person. He or she is created in the image of God. Christ died for each one of us. Christ redeemed us. Therefore, we have to respect one another.”

“For example, in the mentality espoused by certain local TV shows, people are exploited for their poverty for entertainment purposes and for money.”

“Human rights are inviolable. This is the basis of Christian social teaching.”

“If God respected us, so should we respect one another. As Fr. Ron Rolheiser put it, ‘If God went down to our level, why can’t we go down to the level of our fellow human beings?’”

“Each human is destined for participation in the divine life.”

In the Philippines, dark spots on the dignity of human person can be seen in "the upholding the right to life (who decides who is worthy of life?); extrajudicial killings; abortion (contraception mentality leads to the slippery slope of condoning abortion); euthanasia (this also happens through “waivers” in hospitals); care for the handicapped, mentally ill, aged (are we friendly to the other-abled?); lack of decent living conditions for the poor, who are worthy of being children of God; lack of right for each employable to work; [suppressed] right to truth (are we against ‘envelopmental’ journalism, do we support the Freedom of Information Act?); and [violation of the] right to vote."

(Speaking of elections, I might add: While politicians always get hit for being "corrupt," voters' expectation of receiving money and other means of "support" from politicians in exchange for their votes makes them just as culpable, since such an implicit understanding forces politicians to fulfill the unwritten expectation. And speaking of elections, let's not forget the rampant cases of slander, calumnies, and defamation by many candidates who profess to be Christian, as though the gravity or level of depravity of such an act is not equal to physical murder.)

II. Common Good

“This means the sum of social conditions that enable persons to achieve their full human potential.”

“Stewardship is a spirituality, meaning we are not the real owners of our properties." ... “Private ownership is not absolute. We seek the will of the real owner, who is God.”

These statements remind me of this Biblical passage: "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common... There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. Thus, Joseph, a Levite,..., sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles." (Acts 4:32-37, New American Bible version)

Thanks to this sense of community of the earliest Christian church, a dog-eat-dog world suddenly turned into some kind of a utopia, a paradise-on-earth. Which makes us wonder what happened all along that the result today is a yawning gap in socioeconomic status in supposedly Christian communities and nations like ours.

(But a quick qualification: Neither does Christianity advocates a classless society -- after all, can anyone imagine a viable society in which everyone is an owner of a major company or everyone is a lowly staff? Even many insect species have complex hierarchical societies.)

“To whom much is given, much is expected,” he continues as a reminder to all. “In terms of politics, we must have participation.” “In economics, we observe the principle of the universal distribution of goods.”

In the Philippines, he continues, dark spots in the area of common good, include the “widening gap between rich and poor, forests and corals exploited for profit, irresponsible mining practices, laws that benefit only foreign interests and those of the elite, globalization, graft and corruption, and slums as a symptom of uneven development.”

III. Solidarity

“Solidarity is based on the idea that we are interconnected and interdependent to each other. Solidarity equals love. In the Church, solidarity is expressed by being a church of the poor. The principle of solidarity is evident in the case of creation and ecology itself.”

“To check our application of solidarity: Do we have a mind-your-own-business mindset? Are we too family-centered or group-centered (ethnocentrism)? Remember that we also have obligation to others. Are we narrow-minded, do we have narrow concerns, or are we too locally focused (regionalism)? Think globally, act locally. No to parochialism. Do we exhibit only momentary acts of solidarity (for example: people power/EDSA revolution, flooding of donations after ecological disasters), instead of sustained efforts?"

IV. Subsidiarity

“The big does not take over the small, the big enables the small, and allows the small to do what it can on its own, allows growth from within, respects and allows associations, unions, and civil societies, to act on their own.”

“The big fish doesn’t swallow up the small fry. A good example is the case of [some big businesses that swallow up everything in their path].”

“The principle of subsidiarity protects the people from abuses by higher-level social authorities imposed by these authorities to help individuals and intermediate groups to fulfill their duty.”

“This principle is imperative because every person and even intermediate group has something original to offer the community.”

“The principle of subsidiarity is opposed to certain forms of centralization and welfare assistance and to the unjustified and excessive presence of the state in public mechanism.”

“One example is Vietnamese and Chinese governments' control of the practice of religion, where people can't have public declaration of their religious belief.”

“For applications in parochial and corporate settings, problems should be solved with respect to the lower levels.”

“In the Philippines, dark spots in the area of subsidiarity include the following: feudalism and padrino system; paternalism, or the patronizing approach in helping others through a dole-out mentality (giving without care as to the outcome after), or providing technology/products on donor's terms; and lack of entrepreneurship, resulting in overdependence on authority, and people not being allowed to control their own destiny.” “Even in families, parents who are too dictatorial violate the principle, since children should be allowed to grow on their own (pace of) maturing.”

***

In conclusion, he says that, “as Filipinos, our commitment and concerns should not be limited to our own family only, but should be extended to the community, and (according to our capacity, sphere of control/influence), even to the bigger community.”

Personal Commentary

It is teachings like these that touch souls profoundly and make them want, or will, and decide to be Catholic or Christian by choice in the face of such negative realities in the secular world and in our relentlessly capitalist society, whose ways and values are, more often than not, inimical to these thoughts, or even the reverse of what these teachings say as ways forward.

In these teachings of Christ through the Church, which seems to espouse "downward mobility" in so many ways, to paraphrase Henri Nouwen, one feels loved as a person and as a member of society, one feels secure in being cared for for who he or she is and gets a sense of hope to live out the best version of oneself according to God's will and God's plan, instead of being constantly alienated by "the world's" pervasive ethos of one-up-man-ship, pressured in so many ways that are instinctively revolting deep within.

Another insight one gains from this set of principles is that Christianity, as an -ism or philosophy, is neither completely capitalist, nor democratic, nor socialist, nor communist, but more of a "civilization of love," in the words of St. Pope John Paul II. It can never be boxed in like a convenient ideology, it is neither conservative nor liberal, for what could be more liberal than "upholding the primacy of human beings"? A reversal of the law of the jungle ("a tooth for a tooth," "to each his own," "survival of the fittest"), at its heart is the law of love, we could say, which should, in theory, result in a caring society and a just social order, where "everyone outdoes everyone in caring service," and yet without the forcible legislation of 'love' and equality the way socialist and communist societies understand it, since the moment 'love' is forced via legislative acts or government policy, it immediately ceases to be a case of "loving thy neighbor as oneself."

With these social teachings, Christianity quietly makes this proposition of affirming life and humanity in the here and now, short of bringing heaven on earth, or a version of utopia, if you will, but only as a precursor to what is expected beyond life as we know it. ...While at the same time, it constantly eggs on its followers to focus on life eternal or "the four last things" (death, judgment, heaven, hell). I haven't encountered any philosophy this strange and at the same time attractive.

Of course, in the real world, these social teachings are one thing, and the application of these teachings or their "translation into action" (as Fr. Rany puts it) is another. Their application in the real world comprises the tricky part, for how exactly do we apply these concepts or principles in the complicated world of politics, business, law, public administration, or even in the arts, and so on?

As a famous columnist once said, "There is the rub." Therein lies the hard work. But negotiating this complex middle ground is worth exploring in our quest for alternative solutions to present-day problems that do not, or no longer, work. As a Latin expression goes, "In medio stat virtus." (Virtue lies in the middle.)

posted by Resty Odon  # 8:53 PM 0 Comments

"This is a time of abundance in your life. Your cup runneth over with blessings. After plodding uphill for many weeks, you are now traipsing through lush meadows drenched in warm sunshine. I want you to enjoy to the full this time of ease and refreshment. I delight in providing it for you."

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:52 PM 0 Comments

What Food Means to Me

I never realized I have been dealing with the topic of food from so many angles until Alya Honasan of Philippine Daily Inquirer popped the question in an online interview, "What does food mean to you?"

Reading the question on email, I suddenly felt pity for beauty pageant contestants. You know, being asked a profound question while in skimpy wear on live telecast. (We might recall here Venus Raj's response when asked about the biggest mistake she had made in her life and how she had made it right, and how her answer was roundly criticized for its, of all things, un-American syntax.)

In other words, I was stumped at the question, and I think I even blanked out -- but not because I couldn't answer, but because I had so many answers that I didn't know where to begin. I had to literally sleep over the question to sort my thoughts out.

When you have been writing about food from the perspective of a freelance writer, travel and tourism magazine editor, and now public information officer for so long, you know that food is not just food. It is about so many other things. You find yourself at the intersection of so many fields you never expected to converge in your mind, and I believe this is what happens whenever I touch the subject without being conscious about it. Why? Because food is indeed a lot of different things all at the same time.

1. At its most basic form, food is sustenance, so the topic easily turns to proper nutrition and health, Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), essential vitamins and minerals, and the diseases you end up getting when you lack a basic nutrient.

1.1. At the extreme end of the spectrum, in the wellness circle, food may even be seen outright as medicine. As an old sage said, "Let food be your medicine," as in preventive maintenance medicine -- because there are food that double as medicine.

2. Food often means cooking, and what is cooking but basically chemistry, and I am not exactly referring yet to fads like molecular gastronomy and methods like sous vide, and the like, but that's a part of it, too.

3. It doesn't take long before you see that food means the edible flora and fauna (biogeography or terroir) of a given place, and these can be endemic, exotic (imported), nativized/naturalized, cultivated, etc.

4. Food is also all about economics and agriculture: the modes of production involved (starting from backyard gardening), the workers behind it, its place in the market, the pricing, and how it is distributed and marketed through a supply chain.

5. If you dig deeper, discussing food means discussing it anthropologically because it is also associated with some significant rules or practices (culinary arts) and the underlying belief system. So this means that food is all about the culture in general, associated traditions and history, about being human, something that Doreen Gamboa Fernandez was so good at. There's even a subset of 'foodways' called ritual food, a very interesting topic that is hardy being written about.

6. And because many food items and dishes are unique to a given place, food also becomes a source of ethnic pride and cultural identity. As they say, "You are what you eat," not just in terms of health but also in terms of your own sense of identity.

6.1. Food inevitably then becomes tourist attraction as tourism inescapably includes food-related interest points.

7. Of course, from the perspective of sybarites and epicures (current term: foodies), eating may be discussed purely by its gustatory aspects, flavor profiles (from sweet to umami), and this may be extended to how it is presented (plating).

8. Then there's the matter of food as preferences (likes, dislikes), in particular, which are a matter of family background, a matter of nostalgia, giving food a significant psychological dimension. Food suddenly becomes a mental health issue (food addiction, bulimia, anorexia).

9. I could be missing some other things. (Political? Legal? We can talk about the Milk Code and Europe's legislation on food origin to protect authenticity and intellectual property.)

So for me, considering all of the above, eating food is not just a physical and physiological act, but also a social, economic, cultural-historical, psychological, and aesthetic act.

This may sound strange, but the very act of eating is, for me, a spiritual act as well. And that is why I routinely say my prayer before meals. (Some people even say a prayer after meals.) I am not just thankful to God for the provision, I guess; in the very desire to eat, I am expressing my continuous desire to live, my continuous appreciation for life. If we study the Bible closely, we can notice a hidden theology behind eating and eating together.

When I was struck with covid sometime in 2021, I experienced a most alarming loss of appetite for the first time, and I forced myself to take at least three mouthfuls every meal because I guess I still wanted to live despite the fact that I was very weak and depressed, so food to me at the time literally meant my very survival.

So going back to the question, I eventually answered all of the above complex web of points and concluded: "Food, for me, means life."

What does food mean to you?

(random food photo: Andrew Casipit)

posted by Resty Odon  # 8:16 PM 0 Comments

To all members of the Odon and Junio clans in Bayambang: May I inform you that our beloved Uncle Berns (Venancio Junio Odon) has gone ahead of us at 88 years old. I think he is the last Odon of his generation. We will miss him badly because he was such a kind, loving, God-fearing, generous, talented (he was a good singer dancer, guitar player), and naturally funny guy. Join us in praying for his eternal repose.

***

Eulogy for My Uncle Berns

I guess we who grew up having a normal family life -- that is, having a mother and a father by our side -- never really outgrow the thought of being our parents' children. We live through the marching years, decades, clinging to this illusion that our parents will always be by our side, forever living, mentoring us through life's ups and downs, occupied with our concerns, from our diet to our posture and anything that comes from our mouth. They may irritate us sometimes, or often, but we never entertain the thought that someday soon they could be gone.

This illusion is broken, and rudely so, when they get suddenly ill, or worse.

Yet even at the throes of death, our natural reaction is to deny, hoping against hope down to the last millisecond that a miracle would occur and our beloved parent would rise up once again, back to health, if only for a small window of opportunity to live again and delay the inevitable.

I have many memories of my Uncle Berning (a.k.a. Venancio Junio Odon), so I don’t know where to start. I will just mention a few, in the spirit of celebrating his 88 years of life.

Everything came back together once again when I learned about his quick passing due to pneumonia at age 88. Some memories are quite bad and not worth recalling, but most memories are good ones and worth retaining and writing about.

When he was still living in the Philippines, my family lived two houses away from Uncle’s house, so we were neighbors for a very long time. That’s from 1978 up to the time they moved to the US in the '90s. Life was so simple back then. Our houses did not have concrete fences, unlike today. So my uncle would barge into our house any time of the day or night, and he usually asked for leftover rice or anything he wanted from the kitchen.

That was how things used to be in our family. We could freely ask for any fruit or vegetable growing in our yard, and we often exchanged our dishes of the day, so we could taste each other household’s cooking. Of course, we never matched my Aunt Susay's (Zosima) cooking, which was always perfect.

Sometimes, my Uncle would ask for a lighter and then he would sneak in a cigarette, which he said was prohibited in their house.

Apart from being good-looking (he had movie-star mestizo features and was quite fussy with grooming and fastidious with his get-ups), my Uncle had many other traits that endeared himself to us and to everyone. Whenever he was around, you can be sure it would be a riot because he was a natural comedian, because he was such a jolly person. He had a perfect pitch and proper timing when he was joking.

Growing up, I knew he was a loving father as well, and this character of his extended to us, his nephews and nieces. Even though he was not rich, he was a giving person, generous with the little that he had, perhaps even generous to a fault. He was that kind of person, that is why everyone loved him.

He was also very talented. He was good at singing and dancing. I can’t forget how, one night during a power outage, he sang a lively Spanish song while playing the ukelele. I have never heard that song again.

Another thing I can’t forget about him is when he joined the Marriage Encounter program in the church, because he was suddenly a changed man. He became an even better person after he gave up his favorite vices, and instead spent time serving God through various church activities together with his wife.

I think my Uncle is the last Odon of his generation, so that means he is our last connection to that generation. Sadly they are all gone now, and they brought with them memories of the past that they were not able to share or document.

But we will never forget Uncle’s legacy of love and caring, of self-sacrifice, faith in God and devotion to family – you can see the proof in his four children, his high sense of humor, his contagious joy for life and gratitude for being alive.

I am sure he and his good qualities will live on in all of us whom his life has touched, especially his children, my four cousins Lynn, Rey, Dennis, and Lea, and his grandchildren.

I am thankful that God gave us an Uncle like him. My family will definitely miss him.

posted by Resty Odon  # 4:32 AM 0 Comments

How About Monetizing Culture and Arts?

(How culture and arts fuel products, brands, careers, professions, livelihoods, entire industries)

Innovation -- and the economic progress it brings -- are often credited to science and technology. S&T research, in particular -- and by extension, its application in engineering and other allied applied science fields -- are often cited as catalysts of progress, and rightly so. And yet the field of culture and arts is often forgotten, even dismissed, as a harbinger of good things in this regard. This omission is misguided and unfortunate.

Without a vibrant artistic and cultural scene, a community is as good as dead in terms of creativity and innovation, not to mention bereft of their unsung socioeconomic benefits.

Let us get down to brass tacks then and ask: How does a work of art -- whether it is a painting, poem, essay, dance, story, novel, sculpture, or even a concept, or any of the intangible cultural traditions and practices such as culinary creations -- bring food on the table, money in the bank, improve socio-psychological wellbeing, or stimulate economic growth? How do we even quantify the effect of something that expands visions, opens minds, gives pleasure, touches hearts, and edifies and uplifts spirits? How can we even put a price tag on such essential intangibles as beauty, artistry, skill, craftsmanship, excellence, passion, the thousands of hours put it, wholeness and healing, collective pride, and cultural identity? The very idea! It's ridiculous because impossible. But anyway, let us attempt to connect the dots; after all, in the real word, money talks and we can't eat art -- not directly anyway.

The easiest answer is probably through tourism. If something is truly excellent or unique or intriguing, travelers from all over will come and see it or have a piece of it. Hundreds, thousands, will flock to it, fork over their life's fortune, as tourists do to the Sistine Chapel to see Michaelangelo's ceiling frescoes and 'La Pieta,' to the Louvre to see Da Vinci's ‘Mona Lisa,’ down to lowly Buscalan town in faraway Kalinga to have Apo Whang-od tattoo three black dots on their arm.

Entire towns and cities, even countries, become synonymous to their food products: Parma ham, Kobe beef, Rimini ice cream, Ethiopian coffee, and at home, Malagos chocolate, Bonuan bangus, etc. Just recently in terms of local history, when somebody invented pigar-pigar in Dagupan City, and it clicked, what do you think happened? The same story happened to, say, sisig or the lowly isaw when it was popularized by Aling Lucing of Angeles City, Pampanga, or a random isawan in Diliman. The same is true for certain regional dishes that used to be totally unknown to most, from bachoy to chicken inasal.

How many families got wealthy as a direct result of an heirloom recipe? TV magazine shows routinely feature how generations of people got by and made good in life on account of a secret hopia, longanisa, barbecue, banana cue, or bread recipe that is either unique or well-executed. Many of these initial home enterprises even end up being full-blown stores and restos.

Behind the roaring success of "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings," "Star Wars," etc. are writers who dared to write down an engrossing story with fascinating characters and otherworldly settings while most likely all alone and bored to death in their corner of the world.

Antoni Gaudi's peculiar architectural style and love for his hometown resulted in a unique skyline for the whole city of Barcelona. And when Art Deco and Art Nouveau became the in thing in architecture in the 1920s, the new aesthetic concepts created ripples of change in cities around the world, and the new sensibility spilled over to the fields of interior design, fashion, and manufacturing industry.

Japanese concepts such as kaizen, 5S, wabi-sabi, and more recently Marie Kondo's idea of eliminating "anything that no longer spark joy" have profoundly affected how people and organizations behave and look at how they do things. Steve Jobs' obsession with Japanese ceramics heavily influenced Apple's design aesthetic.

Every major art movement, in fact, has moved global aesthetics to another direction, from arts and crafts to industrial applications, spicing up the realm of culture and arts, engaging people in endless debates that provoke thought, shaking things up often in many unforeseen positive ways.

We haven't even mentioned how visual arts, music, theater, fashion, literature, and culinary arts enrich lives because these fields produce diverse professions: Visual arts lead to careers in graphic design, curation, and restoration. Music generates jobs for performers, producers, and sound engineers. Theater engages actors, directors, and stage technicians, creating a vibrant ecosystem. Fashion drives employment in raw material production, design, marketing, and retail. Literature supports writers, editors, and publishers. The whole showbiz and entertainment industry, as well as media, publishing, and advertising industries, are powered by artists of all kinds. Culinary arts spawn chefs, restaurateurs, and food critics, showcasing how these fields intertwine to form robust creative industries. Wherever there are skillful craftsmen and -women and artisans, there are home-based and cottage industries, or even better, when the products are manufactured for the export market. This year, the local design industry alone is reported to have contributed at least 7.1%-7.2% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). The creative (entertainment) industry is reported to have contributed a staggering P1.60 trillion to the country’s GDP, a 12.1% percent increase from 2023.

I hope we Filipinos learn from how the Koreans took things seriously and 'monetized' their own culture and arts (even though it's limited to pop culture), thus offering something novel to a world hungry for novelty. I hope we learn to how to treat our extremely varied and rich artistic and cultural resources as capital for strategic large-scale tourism projects and non-tourism projects for economic purposes. I wish we could discern well which among our unique artifacts, practices, literature, music, and other such interest points to highlight from obscurity in such a way that would bring over hordes willing to part with their hard cash. I am glad that there are lawmakers out there who see this, such as Pangasinan Congressman Christopher de Venecia who has authored a version of Republic Act No. 11904 or the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, and Senator Loren Legarda's push for Republic Act (RA) 11961, or the Cultural Mapping Act, as part of an amendment to RA 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.

Seen as raw materials and capital instead of being dismissed as fluff or non-essential, culture and the arts can fuel job creation and product creation across various sectors, ultimately transforming communities and economies. By investing in culture and arts, societies ultimately cultivate innovation, enhance tourism, and stimulate local economies, making the arts an essential pillar of sustainable growth while strengthening the community's sense of pride and cultural identity.

posted by Resty Odon  # 8:12 PM 0 Comments

"...[L]ook at the UNBREAKABLES. Adversity only makes them stronger. Ted W. Engstrom says: Cripple him and you have a Sir Walter Scott. Lock him in a prison cell and you have a John Bunyan. Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge and you have a George Washington. Raise him in abject poverty and you have an Abraham Lincoln. Strike him down in infantile paralysis and he becomes Franklin Roosevelt. Deafen him and you have a Ludwig van Beethoven. Have them born black in a society filled with racial discrimination and you have a Booker T. Washington, a Marian Anderson, a George Washington Carver. Call him a slow learner, “retarded,” and write him off as an uneducable and you have an Albert Einstein." - Francis Kong

posted by Resty Odon  # 9:44 PM 0 Comments

Villegas's Theology of Sickness

"My cancer (sarcoma) was caused by stress," Dr. Willie Ong recently said in one of his latest viral videos.

Not to demean his work or person or anything (I watch his videos now and then, and of course I join everyone in praying for his healing -- and candidacy), but the remark was so controversial, to me and many others, that I had to sit back and think through what I believe about sickness (and human suffering in general).

It is controversial because Dr. Ong practically concludes that mental stress causes cancer. If that is true, then all of the constantly stressed people we know, and there are so many of them, should also have cancer by now. It also comes from the presumption that disease -- literally the absence of ease -- is always (emphasis on always) the result of something bad that you did or others did to you.

Fortunately, other medical doctors quickly debunked the claim, though we can say stress may indeed be a contributory factor or may worsen it.

Anyway, the remark made me think once again about what causes sickness apart from the medical perspective. And in this regard, we may turn to the theology of sickness by one esteemed authority on the subject, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, who has already done the difficult task -- thank you -- of explaining it in a way that I happen to subscribe to. All I have to do is be quote-happy using YouTube videos of his homilies on the subject. I just hope I am not in any way putting words into his mouth.

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[START OF QUOTE] "THERE are sicknesses that get healed...at once. There are sicknesses that get healed but take time to heal. Then there are sicknesses that don't ever get healed (or sicknesses that have no cure).

'Why is God like that?

'Why do we get sick?'

Indeed, why are there people who are good but get sick? Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? 'If God loves me, why this?'

I don't know the answer. I don't have an answer. Sickness is essentially a mystery. ...Just like life is a mystery. ...Love, death is a mystery.

But even though we don't know the answer, I will stand by my belief that God will be with us in our suffering. God walks with us in the valley of darkness.

The poor, the sick, the handicapped... they represent the hardship of Jesus. They are, therefore, our Lord(s). An encounter with the sick (and oppressed) is an encounter with Jesus, the God who suffers.

Why is there sickness? I can only hazard a guess:

First of all, we should accept that physical sickness is not a punishment from God. You don't get sick because you committed a sin.

I would rather believe that sickness is a teacher, a lesson. There are lessons in life that only sickness, or death, or loneliness will be able to reveal to us, not success, not wealth, not fame, nor physical strength.

God allows sickness, not because He is uncaring, but because He wants us to teach a lesson. Sickness is a very good teacher.

***

Second: Sickness is a reminder that we are not superheroes. Everybody gets sick. Again, you don't get sick because you are bad or being punished for what you did.

Sickness is a reminder that you are not God; you are human. And because you are human, you have a weakness.

Sickness is part of being human. It is a part of life. It is a reminder that all of us will get sick and will die.

***

Third: Sickness is not only a reminder that we will all die, but also a reminder that there is life after death. There is a second life after this life, and that life is better than the first one, as it is life without end. No more chemotherapy, injections, vaccines, operations, implants. ...Where life is lived to the full, no more pain, nor hurt, nor hunger, nor lack.

***

Fourth: Another reminder of illness is that you are not alone. When you are ill, you feel like you are alone in your illness and everyone must be mindful of it. But you are not the only one who is ill.

And if you are sick, you can still love. To choose to love even when you are in pain is the mission of all of us.

If it is the nature of the scorpion to sting, then it is our nature as humans to love (no matter the circumstances).

Pain is inevitable, but love is also our mission. That is how pain is part of the road to holiness.

***

When you are sick, you can pray, 'Lord, heal me.'

If you get healed, thank God. If you didn't get healed, it is not because God didn't hear your prayer, but because he is teaching you something that you wouldn't learn if you are healthy.

If you didn't get healed, I hope you have some lessons learned.

In any case, a better life is waiting for you." [END OF QUOTE]

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If I may intrude into his meditation with some little rejoinders....

1. Indeed, what if sickness...heals? What if there is actually 'healing' in sickness, that is, psycho-spiritual healing? As somebody else put it, "We are sometimes so engrossed with being physically healed that we tend to forget that sickness itself can be a way to get healed, spiritually speaking, that is. ... Didn't Jesus himself go through pain and suffering? Didn't he, too, bleed that we might get healed?"

But...did Jesus ever get sick? I don't think so, for he was constantly the deliverer of maladies. But if he was indeed truly human, he would have had come down with a headache or flu at some point.

Anyway, the point is well taken. Jesus at least went through physical pain and discomfort, even of the worst kind: physical-emotional-psychological torture.

2. But certainly, sickness is not ideal. I will never prefer it. Like hell, sickness is not part of God's original plan. After all, it is Adam and Eve's fall from grace (and the rebellious angels, now devils, that tempted them) that brought it upon us, not God. Illness is inherently bad.

3. As for sickness per se, actually, there are sicknesses that are self-inflicted like lifestyle diseases, drug addiction, incidents due to carelessness, etc. And it is probably in this limited area where the wellness movement operates.

posted by Resty Odon  # 12:03 AM 0 Comments

Wellness: A Movement, a Lifestyle

posted by Resty Odon  # 7:28 PM 0 Comments

I am glad to be able to get up from bed alive this morning. I am thankful to get to this point, considering what I go through each day. 

Am I happy and contented with my life so far? To be honest, no -- I wish it could be something much better.

But what good is regret? For the most part, I choose to live in the now. I know my life is wanting in so many respects, but if I focused on the things I don't have, I'd end up wallowing in self-pity. I choose to focus on what I have instead.

As I look back at the more than five decades of my existence, I can say for certain that my life has been rich in another way, which is a great consolation. While it's true that I have not been rich in the conventional way -- being happily married with kids, with a successful career, and so on -- I have become rich in experiences, in the breadth and scope of knowledge I have accumulated, and the many unseen benefits of both, which is largely about appreciating life in all its splendor. If only in this regard, I have been blessed much indeed. 

On top of this, if I take into account all the answered prayers to all my past supplications, it would be much too ungrateful for me to complain.

My life now is a far cry from what it used to be, but I have chosen this path of coming back home from the big city, and I don't regret that choice. 

It used to be that my typical week in Manila was characterized by novelty. It meant watching a movie, preferably a well-regarded one or an arthouse film, or watching a play, always with friends, of course, going to somewhere I haven't been, whther alone or with company, buying a new book and/or magazine and reading it, eating something new, listening to new music artists, and having other activities that were a form of entertainment and discovery to me. Watching concerts was rare, but I had that, too, from time to time.

Now, it's the opposite. I have practically become the ascetic or the monk, or worse, a recluse due to my illness. I am constantly torn between accepting and 'fighting' my mysterious anxiety and phobias -- which until now I couldn't figure out, and this part of my struggle is straight out of a Haruki Murakami or worse Franz Kafka novel. If there's someone who wanted a way out of it, that would be me.

Nevertheless, like I said, I don't feel like I miss my life in the city so much. I would welcome the occasional treats and jaunts in the outside world (I mean, the world outside my comfort zone of home and workplace), but I don't exactly yearn for them like when I was younger. 

Any dose of novelty I needed was more than enough anyway -- they are just one finger-tap away in my smart phone.  

My state of mind now is more like that of a senior citizen, I would say, which is funny, but true. Since I am a survivor and a make-lemonade-when-life-throws-you-a-lemon type of guy, I take this incredible challenge as an opportunity to suffer for God, to atone for my sins at least, if not for others, "to fill up what's lacking in Christ's sacrifice," to put it Biblically. (I have never fully understood this passage.) If this means doing purgatory here on earth, then at least that's good news. After all, I have had my fair share of life's wonderful treats. How many more do I need? Furthermore, on top of so many stories of answered prayers, I even had an experience or two of miracles. As journalist and long-time survivor of stroke, Margie Quimpo Espino or her husband (of Philippine Daily Inquirer), was quoted as saying, "How many miracles do we need?"

Sometimes, it still saddens me that I am unable to do many of the things that used to be second nature to me, but I guess I need to constantly remind myself not to dwell on what is lacking or missing.

I am particularly thankful that I can still hold down a job and I am still able to write and enjoy the process. And I am able to write about a lot of things because I had varied experiences, and naturally I have a wide scope of topics that I can confidently handle. Looking back, I have been able to live my life despite the limiting circumstances I had to face (material poverty and the personal issues you wouldn't believe), and this is the time of mining it for material.

At 54, I still pray for healing, but I also pray for strength and wisdom in how to continue my journey in this atypical life at this point, because it is quite an extra-challenge for anyone to have.

May God have mercy on me and favor me further with blessings I don't deserve as proof of his fatherly love for me.

posted by Resty Odon  # 12:09 AM 0 Comments

"We shouldn't be surprised when others commit sin." This quote from a saint I encountered somewhere convicted me lately. I remember how, in conversations, I would sometimes react like I am so surprised that someone could be capable of committing this and that infraction or crime, implying it is something I would never expect because out of character.

Then I am suddenly reminded of what a noted psychologist once said: "All of us, without exception, are capable of anything, anything at all, under the right circumstances." I am humbled by this thought, as I remember the many lows in character that I proved to myself to be capable of, especially in my younger years. If I picture Jesus' handwritings, whether on the wall or on the ground, to remind me of my past sins, as in those pertinent Biblical passages, I won't be able to deny the truth in that psychologist's statement.

This singular statement is now a constant guide for me. It is a sure guard, I realize, against spiritual pride and any sense of moral superiority hiding inside me or I am prone to.

I can now appreciate better the Latin saying, "Nihil humanum, mihi alienum." ("Nothing human is alien to me.") Since I am human, fallen nature and all, I have the capacity in me to understand anything involving humanity, whatever it may be. I can put on a criminal's mind at will -- or a sinner's posture, if you will -- and find some sort of communion there, just because I too am mere human. I can't possibly play pretend. I have it in me to transcend my weaknesses, yes, but that's not the point. I can't even be proud that I am able to do good; in fact, I am only able to do good i so far as I am open to this mysterious force called divine grace. Absent of grace, I am a mixed bag -- perhaps largely good, as consistent with human nature, and definitely, partly hopelessly evil.

With the constant reminder of never underestimating our dark shadow, it is very hard to be judgmental towards other people, and it is impossible to be judgmental without feeling hypocritical.

posted by Resty Odon  # 5:34 PM 0 Comments

Notes on Mental Health

Years ago, mere mention of the words "mental health" would conjure wild thoughts in the mind of most people. "Mental" was such a freighted word or a loaded expression in conversations, pregnant with such negative connotations.

In fact, among Filipinos, "mental" is synonymous with "crazy" or "psycho." It is also unfortunately associated with the National Mental Hospital, now called the National Center for Mental Health. The City of Mandaluyong in Metro Manila where it is located has this singular misfortune of being made synonymous with "mental = crazy." "Naku, itinakbo siya sa Mental." "Ikulong na yan sa Mandaluyong."

These days, things seem to have winded down a bit. Common people have become a lot more informed especially after they themselves experienced a variety of mental health conditions at the height of the covid pandemic. Apparently, a lot of people have realized that no one is exempt or immune from mental health issues, even people who come off as emotionally strong. After all, who hasn't experienced anxiety, panic attack, sleeplessness or insomnia, nightmares, loss of appetite, lack of drive, weird phobias, low self-esteem? Who has not met someone who was raped, experienced incest, attempted or committed suicide, was into drugs, or in a codependent or toxic relationship?

Hopefully, time will come when the words "mental health" or even "mental illness" would have far less stigma than before, no different from, say, physical ailment.

It is indeed good that it is now being discussed out in the open, instead of in hushed tones, and among the greater public instead of being restricted to academics and mental health professionals. But I think the public conversation is just getting started. Awareness of the issue, while a giant step in itself, is only just the beginning of a good thing, just "a first step in a journey of a thousand miles," to quote Lao Tzu or something.

This is because mental health is a complicated topic. Part of the reason is that it is just like medicine at large: it has such a big scope, and there are so many competing theories underlying the field, and worse, the debate is ongoing. The development of knowledge in the field is so fast that if you don't take time to read up on it, you won't be able to keep abreast of it.

Nevertheless, it is hoped that people will continue to study the subject on their own in each of their own search for mental health or overall wellbeing or wholeness, in their own search for finding meaning in life, finding fulfillment, and other such serious pursuits. After all, healing takes a lot of time and conscious effort. You can't possibly resolve any mental concern overnight.

Today, I'd like to share some of the mental health therapies and wellness modalities I have learned through the years of delving on the subject as a layman and writer-researcher.

Basic Communication Study

One of the basic things to watch out in mental wellness is self-awareness. Why? Because denial is such a big thing when one goes through some disturbing issues that lead to personality complexes; it is part of the natural instinct to protect one's fragile ego, but to one's own detriment in the long run. Studying the different levels of communication is thus essential in sorting out the kind of person you are in terms of how you communicate your thoughts and feelings.

Study of Defense Mechanisms

Another essential matter is the study of defense mechanisms. Here, the individual is made aware of himself/herself on a deeper level. Being made self-aware of how one copes up with life in an unhealthy way through distorted views of reality is being on the road to mental wellbeing.

***

Those with really serious issues like addictions, obsessions, compulsions, unexplained and intense sadness, fear, anger, shame, or any irrational because excessive emotion that indicates some compensatory behavioral strategy, etc. need to resort to other various modes of therapy.

Inner Child Retreat

If one truly wants healing, one needs to go out of his/her way to find it. One must be willing to undergo "psychological archaeology" to help resolve issues. Otherwise, forces beyond one's awareness and comprehension will be the one dictating one's behavior. And we all know that bad behavior of course impinges on one's sense of self and relationships.

An inner child retreat allows you to delve into how the things you experienced as a child shaped you to who you are today. You can trace the undesirable parts of yourself to your upbringing and how you reacted to it, and once made aware, you can start to reassess yourself in the face of this reality.

Counseling

Whether in individual or group sessions, talk therapy is beneficial in sorting out the issues you are unable to process alone. Contrary to others' views, this is not a selfish act nor is it an indication that you are going crazy, but a necessity towards your journey to mental wellbeing.

Journaling

Keeping track of your thought life through a journal or diary is helpful in sorting out your thoughts and feelings and making sense of them.

Use of Genogram

Many of the things we are unaware of about ourselves are directly inherited from both sides of our family. In our confusion, it is eye-opening to know which traits and tendencies come from. This is not to put the blame on anyone from our past or to find fault in ourselves, but to know oneself several notches better towards clarity. It pays to know how genetics and epigenetics have such a large role to play in who we are as a person. Knowledge of this reality will help us transcend or sublimate our personal realities toward to the kind of person we want to be.

Bibliotherapy

Reading emotionally evocative and thought-provoking books and novels, watching quality plays, musicals, and movies, and even watching such autobiographical TV shows as "Maalaala Mo Kaya" and "Magpakailanman" are helpful in keeping in touch with our own thoughts and emotions. No matter the story, each life story, after all, imparts important lessons to many people. You never know how someone's story will resonate with your own in a way that is mind-blowing or life-changing. In the realm of psychotherapy, an encounter with stories that resonate with the individual helps lower the person's defenses.

Empty Chair Technique

A specific method to wellness is revisiting portions of your past that are unsettling or lacking in closure and allowing yourself to be able to say the things you were unable to say just to find closure.

Trauma Therapy, Including EMDR and Hypnosis

EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a method of re-establishing connections between the right part of the brain with the left part of the brain, based on the assumption that a traumatic experience severs such a connection, resulting in unexpressed emotions like anger and grief and un-processed 'material' in the mind.

Hypnosis may be resorted to with the help of a licensed professional, of course, as it endeavors to venture into the subconscious and unconscious, particularly memories of traumatic experiences buried so deep in the psyche, in the hope of shedding light on the present and resolving disturbing issues that cannot be easily resolved through usual means.

Reframing

After reaching a high level of self-awareness, you are now ready to reframe the past by looking at it far more objectively than when you are being controlled by it. This releases you from the shackles of the past, liberating you from the way your "automatic mental scripts" control you subconsciously or unconsciously. This can only be an exhilarating experience, of course, as you emerge feeling exorcised from the evil that has been bugging you for so long.

Gratitude Therapy/Positive Psychology

If you are experiencing intense sadness due to a negative life event, and supposing there is no issue with unexpressed emotions, it could help to take an inventory of what is there instead of getting stuck with what is missing in your life. You'd be surprised to find a lot of blessings, many of which may have been hidden from your memory all along.

Neurolinguistic Programming

I have been hearing this for so long, but I am unable to wrap my head around it so far, so I can't comment on it for now.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT is a form of therapy that focuses on symptoms of psychological distress by examining the interconnections between your behavior and automatic thoughts, core beliefs, as well as cognitive distortions in order to challenge these thought processes and changing them towards desired thoughts and behaviors.

Gestalt Therapy

Based on the belief that 'broken' individuals have disjointed thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations (in contrast to 'whole' individuals) as a result of trauma of some sort, Gestalt therapy focuses on "present-moment awareness and the integration of fragmented aspects of the self" using "experiential techniques such as role-playing, empty chair dialogue, and mindfulness exercises to facilitate self-discovery and promote personal growth." "Instead of focusing solely on symptom reduction, it encourages exploration of unresolved issues and unfinished business, fostering greater self-awareness and authenticity."

Dream Analysis

Recurrent dreams are significant; they have something to tell us -- they often reflect back unprocessed, unconscious material to our consciousness, so it is best to pay attention.

Medications

Of course, in severe cases, the intervention of psychiatric prescriptions is necessary.

Religion/Spirituality/Retreats

While it is true that you cannot just pray away your mental health problems, you can never discount the value of prayer and spiritual approaches, including intercessory prayers. If all else fails, this could be your only hope.

***

Other Practical 'Therapies'

Depending on the issue, one can resort to a host of other therapies: physical exercise, massage, aromatherapy, breathing exercises, vagus nerve exercises, acupuncture, communing with nature, joining a support group/group therapy, enjoying some hobbies, etc.

***

Precautions: Psychotherapy vis-a-vis Christian POV, Etc.

Beware of the pitfalls of the secular application of psychological concepts, as it tends to get you stuck at a self-centered position, in contrast to contextualizing therapies in the broader context of spiritual healing and wholeness. After all, the journey towards mental wellbeing is not much different from the pursuit of spiritual wholeness -- in other words, holiness.

Then there's the danger of abusing the use of psychological terms and psychiatric diagnoses to refer to normal negative behaviors or mere character weakness or to rationalize bad choices in life, e.g., saying you are depressed when in fact you are merely sad. Personally, I find the use the word 'abuse' much abused with overuse, especially since it's a term with unclear and inexact meaning and thus prone to misinterpretation.

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Having said all these, it is unfortunate that, even though the need for help among many sufferers is quite pressing, our society is ill equipped at addressing their concerns. There are just not enough counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists, especially in the countryside, and if they are available at all, counseling and psychotherapeutic sessions cost an arm and leg, way out of reach of most people. In Metro Manila, the only institutions I know that render pro bono work are church-based. One is the Redemptorist church (Our Lady of Perpetual Help national shrine's St. Gerard Family Life Center) in Baclaran and the other is the Psycho-Trauma Clinic in St. Aquinas Research Complex, UST, Sampaloc.

posted by Resty Odon  # 9:23 PM 0 Comments