Relationships
-
Poking a wasp nest
When I was young, I learned that poking a wasp nest stirs the wasps, and the next thing you do is run away as fast as you can because the wasps will hunt you down. The lesson I learned was that wasps are not aggressive until you disturb their peace. And who doesn’t like peace, Read more
-
The gradual normalization of wrongdoing
If only right and wrong, good and evil, were color-coded, we could see clearly which way to go and what not to do if we desire doing good. But wrong and evil often seem good (at first) until you are hooked and trapped. Then, you are either already knee-deep in them before you realize you’re Read more
-
Online aggression
I find more people angry online than in person and I don’t know why. Because it’s election season in the Philippines, the occasional angry mob has become a 24-hour online presence and it has been challenging to drown out all the noise and think clearly about the values and principles our parents and well-meaning teachers Read more
-
Living in selflessness
I constantly have to remind myself that I am the adult now. Sometimes, I still feel like being in the in-between—the chaos between a surf and the shore—tossed and turned into places familiar and unknown. While the routine keeps me sane, not pushing the boundaries makes everyday too predictable and boring, safe but hollow. The Read more
-
Resisting the urge to respond immediately
What I learned to part ways with after seeking and engaging in creative activities is the idea that “messaging somebody entitles us to receive immediate response” because we are no longer high schoolers messaging one another, tethered to our phones all day long. I have trained myself for years (since I got ahold of a Read more
jessa 