PRAY WHEN YOU NEED HELP

26 February 2011, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This time, I would like to share a story I have written in the past and lifted from my previous Taglish [mixed Tagalog & English] Journal entitled “Ang Buhay nga Naman” [“Oh it’s Life” in English].

This was originally written in Tagalog (the language from which the Filipino national language is based) when I was in high school but was not published as it was rejected by the editor of our school organ then. Well, here is the English translation of the story…

Original Title:  “ANG BABOY NI JUAN” [The Juan’s Pig Story]

It was rainy season in the Philippines and time for the expected devastation from the storms and typhoons; I always remember this story of our neighbour. 

One day a super typhoon hit the Bicol Region and consequently the pig’s cage of our neighbour, Juan, was destroyed and his domesticated pig got lost.

The next day, after the weather calmed down, Juan immediately searched for his lost pig, asking the neighbours on his way. But some time had passed and he still couldn’t find his pig. He passed by the Chapel and there he prayed. "Virgin Mary, please help me find my lost pig."

Thereafter, he continued the search. But it was already late in the afternoon and no sign of his pig. "Oh what a Shit Pig!" he said in dismay and gradually lost hope. Once again, he returned to the chapel and prayed. This time he prayed: "Virgin Mary if I find my lost pig, I will sell it and donate the proceeds to the Chapel.”, and then he humbly headed out of the Chapel.

As he was walking just outside the Chapel, lo and behold, his lost pig appeared just in front of him. He was so happy then, but immediately remembered what he has just promised to the Virgin Mary.

He took the pig home. His son welcomed him, “Oh! Father you found our pig.” Juan replied: “Yes, my son but it’s not ours anymore. I have just committed that (pig) to the Virgin Mary; I will sell the pig and donate the sales proceeds to the Chapel. By the way, I’m going to sell our cat too.”

The son was so surprised and wondered. "Who would buy that cat?" the son murmured (as there are a lot of stray cats in Bicol and definitely cats are not saleable).

Hauling the pig and cradled the cat, Juan peddled them to the neighbourhood market place. He shouted "Pig for sale!"

A buyer asked: "How much?", "Oh it’s cheap", Juan replied, "Only Five Pesos (P5.00)” [which is equivalent to US twenty five cent only at that time]. “Ok”, the buyer said, thinking this seller must be idiot! "What just five pesos?" reconfirmed the buyer. "Yes, but on one condition”, Juan replied. “What's that?” questioned the buyer. “You have to buy my cat also", Juan replied and the Buyer asked again "So how much?", "One thousand Pesos (P1,000.00).” [about US$50.00 that time], replied Juan. As the buyer thought it’s a good deal he said: “Oh, okay I take them all." They closed the deal and paid out.

True to his promise, Juan went back to the Chapel, prayed and thanked the Virgin Mary, "Thank you very much Virgin Mary for helping me. Here is Five Pesos for you."

(Moral of the story, pray and your prayer will surely be answered, but never break your promise.)

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed reading. 

BLMabeza is originally from the Bicol Region where most of the storms and typhoons that hit the Philippines land fall.

FIVE SIMPLE RULES TO BE HAPPY

14^th February 2011, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I am very happy reading the statistics of my initial blog last December 2010; my blog is being viewed globally i.e. in Vietnam, United States, Canada, Macau, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Switzerland, Japan and of course the Philippines.


It gives me great pleasure and I appreciate very much the comments received and those who liked the posting in my Facebook account. It is very encouraging... thus here I am again to share my thoughts with you.

As an accountant allow me to analyze the typical daily activities of a person in a significant manner and in terms of numbers and figures and events, and interpret the result thereof.

Do you know that during a 24-hour everyday cycle one will normally spend 8 hours to sleep, at least 8 hours to either work or study, thus leaving only 8 hours to be happy?  I would categorize a person’s major activities as follow: (i.) sleeping, (ii.) studying or working, and (iii.) activities to be happy.

 

According to my research in the Internet, I was led to believe that in the Philippines the male’s life expectancy could extend to over 60 years on the average; while the female’s is somehow longer to around 70 years. Well, I don’t know exactly what the reasons for the difference between the opposite sex.

To extrapolate, by using the above data, where 8 hours for each major activity as fraction of a day represents one third (1/3) thereof, you could conclude that a Filipino during his life expectancy, is sleeping for 20 years, studying and working for 20 years, and with only 20 years or even less to be happy. Lucky for the Filipina would have much longer chance to be happy.

In theory, you can compute your remaining time to be happy by using the following formula:  Average life expectancy less your present age and multiply the difference by 1/3 equals the number of remaining years to be happy.  Now that you know, you could spend it more wisely.

Please note however that the time available for you to be happy is in a fact also being diminished by some other unwanted things, e.g. the time you spent in horrendous daily traffic!  One could be stuck-in traffic for say two hours daily in going to and back from work.   It may be further reduced if after working hours, you argue or quarrel with your friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife, and then you are pissed off.

But exactly how can we be happy?  There are five very simple rules and I owe it to an unknown author, whose article I have read for the first time when I was an undergrad. I liked it so much that I jotted it down in my notes at the time; in that day and age there was no Microsoft Office yet, hence no “copy and paste”. I understand the same article is now available in the worldwide web, but let me save you the time of finding it and share it with you.

 

“The Five Simple Rules To Be Happy

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. Disappointments are like road humps, they slow you down a bit but you enjoy the smooth road afterwards. Don't stay on the humps too long. Move on! When you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy, because God is thinking of something better to give you. When something happens to you, good or bad, consider what it means.

There's a purpose to life's events, to teach you how to laugh more or not to cry too hard. You can't make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to the person to realize your worth. The measure of love is when you love without measure. In life there are very rare chances that you'll meet the person you love and loves you in return. So once you have it don't ever let go, the chance might never come your way again. It's better to lose your pride to the one you love, than to lose the one you love because of pride. We spend too much time looking for the right person to love or finding fault with those we already love, when instead we should be perfecting the love we give.

When you truly care for someone, you don't look for faults, you don't look for answers, and you don't look for mistakes. Instead, you fight the mistakes, you accept the faults, and you overlook the excuses. Never abandon an old friend. You will never find one who can take his place.  

Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends! Life is too short and friends are too few!  Friendship is like wine; it gets better as it grows older.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply

4. Give more.

5. Expect less."

           

I trust the above rules make sense to all of you.

Remember that no one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. 

As an accountant I may put it this way: “Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have; so spend it wisely.”

I have shared the message and I will be back to write more…

Until then have a great day, week or month!

B L Mabeza is a former practicing external auditor in the Philippines.