Paradigms, Perspectives and the Present

Anne Archer starred in a film with Cuba Gooding Jr., James Woods and Angie Harmon in 2005 called End Game. Annes character was the wife of the President of the USA. In a scene from the movie Anne's character had been working on a painted triptych when Cuba's character Alex Thomas entered her studio. Upon seeing the three paintings, he said it is beautiful, as much to be polite as to suggest he didn't understand why three paintings, when Anne's character said "you don't see it Alex, you are so close, but you still don't see it do you". "Stand over here where I am" and only when he did so, did he see the three paintings seamlessly blend into one image. The point being, that often what we see or experience is only ever from one way - our paradigm or perspective. We assume, often incorrectly, that we have all the facts, that we understand the whole situation or person or people and are content with what we see to be sufficient or enough. Only when we venture to "walk" in another's shoes, or stand where they stood, or disengage our own thoughts and prejudices do we glimpse the dimmension of elements that blend together, that Anne Archers character was trying to portray. This principle of understanding settled deep upon me in this last trip to the Philippines.

I have been to the Philippines some 10-12 times over the last 24 years and each time have often compared the country, the life there to the life I have in Australia, and often times I come up short. I have often judged the Philippines and other Asian countries I have visited by an unmeasurable yardstick. What surprised me the most was the way in which I disengaged my thoughts and prejudices and for the first time in my 10-12 visits saw the part of the Philippines I visited for the first real time. Strange as that may sound.

As a missionary in the Philippines from 1984-86 I came to love the people, I saw some staggering things, experienced great love for the perspicacity of the Filipino people generally, saw great jubilation in one of the worlds greatest ever people power revolutions which saw the demise of then President Ferdinand E. Marcos, I witnessed the renewed feeling of independance and national pride, all the while seeing the poverty and lack in the philippines as a passing monologue that chattered in the background.

Each successive visit, seems in hindsight like a passing parade where I would ride triumphantly through, wave the hand like that of a passing dignitary and blow a few kisses and leave the country feeling the trip was worthwhile.

This last trip has enlarged my capacity for compassion and heartfelt understanding of a people that have for the most part learned to accept things they cannot change, and learned to accept the diversity of people and find a simple joy in a life that most westeners would find terminal. I saw for the first time, I mean really saw, people whose lives are so different to mine. I saw people who have resigned themselves to their "lot" in life, and amidst the hopelessness I felt, they smile, they laugh, they truly laugh. For the most part the joy of the rural filipinos is very simple. I walked one morning to the Barangay bus shelter, which was dilapidated and dirty by western standards, and sat there and watched life pass by for a few hours. As I did so, with the camera and lens I was holding, and being white with shorts and Tee shirt, I stood out like a stain on your shirt.

I was a bit of a novelty and attracted an audience. Some 15 people comprising of children, teens and adults came and sat next to me, stood near me and just stared, not even pretending to look away! So being able to speak smatterings of the dialect I spoke and and joked with the people so they would feel comfortable, and in a hope that they would not roll me and take my camera. A couple of people did not smile at my humour or laugh but looked at my camera much more than they did me. It was then that I realised I felt really careful for my safety. The extended members of family who had advised me not to go to the place I did, were worried, but I refused to simply sit in a hotel and or house everyday fearful I could be mugged, though I felt it was a very real possibility a couple of times during the visit.

I singled out one of the men who was unresponsive and asked him about his life. After some cajoling from me and the other "stand by's" around us he opened up a little and said what his life is, what he hoped and what it had become. There was a strong difference between the expectation and the reality. The words of a song from the musical version of Les Miserables came to life when Fantine sings of the hope and despair her life had become. The man looked at me and said
your rich!", to which I commented that I was so not rich, my life has much lack, and then he looked at the camera and said "but you are here!, I cannot go there." Hard to argue that to someone whose house consisted of a few bamboo rods and a thatched leaf roof. Whose clothes showed the wear that comes from overly soaped clothes that never quite got the true rinse they needed, and the stiffness they imbue as a result, whose thongs were worn and I am sitting with the cool T-shirt and shorts and camera. My heart went out to him. Then I saw the people around, I made some more jokes and did a ittle dance to get them to laugh and they all did, I wanted them to feel that I was OK and that I was not better than them, I truly felt in many ways they were my superior.

Within a short time of this occurring, the family Starex van with the reflective blocked out windows picked me up and I was whisked away into the city for some shopping and eating, but the small impact of that brief time did not leave me as I shopped, nor even now.

I will be writing a few blog entries about the Philippines and sharing pictures I took over the next little while. I took hundreds, actually thousands but as i said to one of my blogger friends whom I respect, I need to have the experience distill upon me and develop more, and I have no doubt that will occur as I share more of my thoughts and feelings about the trip.

I will end this section of the post by saying that the paradigms and perspectives I had have changed... Again. Not by an earth shattering event or dazzling lights but by the example and simplicity of a people who have arrived at an acceptance of little more than right here and right now. I am amazed at the ingenuity of the people, I am in awe of their resourcefulness, and I love their resilience. They accept who they are, and for the most part, don't try to be anyone else, their quirks and idiosyncrasies make them a warm, unique and "rich" people. People who live in the now. I saw that seemingly unconnected things when viewed through the right perspective, seamlessly harmonise to become one tapestry or painting that is blended, sweet and inspiring.

After returning last week, I have come to the conclusion that my life by comparison to so many IS rich, IS full of hope and excitement and I want to ensure I live worthy of the opportunity that is afforded me when so many, many other people struggle. I need to learn to live more in the now, and as I was reminded of, tomorrow is the future, yesterday is the past and all we have is now, which is why it is called the present. more posts will come.








A friend, Jim wrote on his blog about the Philippines from a very different perspective, but the underlying current of the story he wrote about I saw clearly. You can read Jim's post here http://haringliwanag.pansitan.net/?p=549