People with grievances: are you one of them? Are you already in despair or are you redeemable?

For those who have been through a lot in life, it is not a guarantee that one day you will not feel so lost and in despair. Your view of life becomes myopic and anyone who gets in the way becomes a prospective enemy. Before long you begin accounting what people have not done well with you. Then you consider these people the culprits of your dissatisfaction. From your end, you consider these people answerable to you and so sooner or later they must pay.

We witnessed this scenario. Every time this person comes along, there seems to be a veil that covers the space and to our surprise, oozing sense of black energy. To our consternation, we found out that this fellow does not care and does not even know the bad vibration being put out by just mere presence.

Then while in the midst of this negative part of existence, news reached us. One of the employees just could not make it and lost sanity. Another just lost a life partner at a time when the children are so young and a young dynamic personality just died. Someone felt so happy and healthy then one moment felt no longer as fine as before - the future seems uncertain.

So those who seem to feel that people have done an injustice to them: think again: one moment you are here, next moment you are here no more. It is time to let go and let God be the judge and only Him. Desiderata reminds us: With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world: Be happy!

Sad to say, Malaybalay has its own "culture" of gossip and rumor mongering . . .

How does gossip begin? You and I are "experts" at this because let us accept our tendency: to backbite someone who is not present when the gossip is " being said" aloud in a particular setting. Depending on the popularity or status of the person being "talked about" the gossip also becomes more popular.

Take this situation: Atty. Adel Tamano, spokesperson of the Nacionalista Party and is running as Senator of the Philippines, was supposed to talk in Bukidnon State University sometime last December 4, 2009. Atty. Adel already arrived in Malaybalay but due to some "negligence" of people concerned, the speaker was the last one to know that the talk would not push through. We know who the "culprits" are but in the gossip - which includes now a private citizen - it is narrated by the "gossiper" that the private citizen and the person who "salvaged" the embarrassing situation are now the "culprits" or the ones who did not allow Atty. Tamano to speak in BSU. Do you see how the gossip "twists" the truth? Who are these people who still spread wrong information? We can only guess. Remember, there is "culture of gossip and rumor mongering" in Malaybalay, Bukidnon, Philippines.

Now that it is already 2010, we who are Malaybalayans must "purge" ourselves: no finger pointing is needed because "mia culpa", gossip is "my fault"- "mia maxima culpa"gossip is "my most grievous fault". If you and I begin telling the truth and stop spreading gossip, the so-called "culture" of destroying somebody elses's reputation is bound to stop and die its natural death. So be it. (Amen).