Hello, again.
A new year is always opportune time to start all over again. A new year always offers a fresh chance - even if it is a chance to embark on yet another journey that is difficult to accomplish or finish. But then again, "try" has always been my middle name.
It's been almost two years since I stopped writing my column for that daily newspaper. I don't exactly miss writing for that paper - after almost ten years of slaving to meet deadlines in between three jobs, there were days when writing seemed like a chore, like simply filling up a page with words - some of them almost meaningless. A large part had to do with the fact that there were political considerations that had to be "complied" with, which got tiring after a while.
When do we know enough is enough? When we stop.
But I have had no regrets. Writing that column helped speed up my maturity process, even if there were times when I wondered if all that was worth being bullied, insulted, mocked, ridiculed.
But I do miss writing. And not necessarily because I liked being read. Oh sure, having a really good exchange with a reader always helped boost the spirit; a meaningful conversation always does that to anyone. We are all social animals, after all. The problem was that (and I guess this has gotten even worst in the last two or three years) is that people no longer engaged in conversation.
This is because social media has given everyone not only a voice and the metaphorical equivalent of a megaphone, but also, unfortunately, a weapon to hurt, maim, or kill. And so, people no longer cared about civility, or mature exchanges, or even being fair. There are times when it seems everyone is engaged in a screaming contest where intelligence, logic, or just plain common sense no longer count, just volume and stamina. Whoever screams the loudest, or the longest, wins.
This is why I have stopped writing commentaries even in my Facebook page. In fact, if it were not for the fact that FB unfortunately hosts the network of communication among many of my social groups (family, high school batch, college friends, etc) I would have chosen to disconnect a long time ago. There are just days when being in FB is so toxic. You are confronted with the fake news, the lack of civility, the cruelty, the political games, and worst of all, the hypocrisy.
Is everything lost? I do not think so. I hope not. I believe, in my heart of hearts, that all of these is a learning process for all of us. Yes, we've all taken two steps backward; but I believe people will eventually come to their senses. And I suspect that this time around, the process of realisation will be faster.
In the meantime, I have decided to revive this blog. Without fanfare.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!
N.B.
Actually, I also couldn't access this blog for sometime. But now that I have, I hope to be able to go back to the swing of things.
It's been almost two years since I stopped writing my column for that daily newspaper. I don't exactly miss writing for that paper - after almost ten years of slaving to meet deadlines in between three jobs, there were days when writing seemed like a chore, like simply filling up a page with words - some of them almost meaningless. A large part had to do with the fact that there were political considerations that had to be "complied" with, which got tiring after a while.
When do we know enough is enough? When we stop.
But I have had no regrets. Writing that column helped speed up my maturity process, even if there were times when I wondered if all that was worth being bullied, insulted, mocked, ridiculed.
But I do miss writing. And not necessarily because I liked being read. Oh sure, having a really good exchange with a reader always helped boost the spirit; a meaningful conversation always does that to anyone. We are all social animals, after all. The problem was that (and I guess this has gotten even worst in the last two or three years) is that people no longer engaged in conversation.
This is because social media has given everyone not only a voice and the metaphorical equivalent of a megaphone, but also, unfortunately, a weapon to hurt, maim, or kill. And so, people no longer cared about civility, or mature exchanges, or even being fair. There are times when it seems everyone is engaged in a screaming contest where intelligence, logic, or just plain common sense no longer count, just volume and stamina. Whoever screams the loudest, or the longest, wins.
This is why I have stopped writing commentaries even in my Facebook page. In fact, if it were not for the fact that FB unfortunately hosts the network of communication among many of my social groups (family, high school batch, college friends, etc) I would have chosen to disconnect a long time ago. There are just days when being in FB is so toxic. You are confronted with the fake news, the lack of civility, the cruelty, the political games, and worst of all, the hypocrisy.
Is everything lost? I do not think so. I hope not. I believe, in my heart of hearts, that all of these is a learning process for all of us. Yes, we've all taken two steps backward; but I believe people will eventually come to their senses. And I suspect that this time around, the process of realisation will be faster.
In the meantime, I have decided to revive this blog. Without fanfare.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!
N.B.
Actually, I also couldn't access this blog for sometime. But now that I have, I hope to be able to go back to the swing of things.
Comments