BY EDISON MARTE SICAD
“In war, what matters is not who is right—but who is left.”
PARAPHRASING Winston Churchill, this saying is also connected to his other statement: “History is written by the victors.” Both statements have something more to say that the reader can already fathom by reading between the lines.
Sometimes, discourse is but a battle of definitions and contextualization. This is apparent in socio-political issues. The recent “viral” session in Iloilo City Council between two city councilors is a good example of misplaced definition and lack of propriety. But then, let us give them the benefit of the doubt. For if both councilors were only acting (no pun intended) for what is good for the city, then such foibles may be entertained (pun intended).
On the other hand, Literature—or reading books for that matter—gave me a deep sense of appreciating the beauty and power of words. In context—that is, applying the gestalt “configuration”—writers weave words that create a tapestry encouraging a holistic appreciation of perception—and the meaning of such perception.
Eventually, the question is: “What do you make out of it?” When MORE Power says it is NGCP and the latter says it is MORE; and both camps present a jargonized detailed explanation of the power interruptions (meaning an almost 2-day blackout) that most of us cannot understand—which makes us feel ignorant about the ways of power generation and distribution; Do we just have to charged (pun intended) this to experience?
These privately owned corporations might be telling the truth. But the sad thing is, I cannot understand how they tell their story; thus, I cannot appreciate the veracity of their explanations.
And this is what I mean by the power of words: we can change the context of events by adjusting the frame of focus. This is also where the telling of stories become not only important, but also essential.
As Benjamin Disraeli aptly put it: “With words we govern men.”
This series of articles was an offshoot of my interest in reading books: fiction or nonfiction; written in English, Filipino, or Hiligaynon; either prose or poetry.
Also, these articles were influenced by my appreciation of movie plots, specifically the screenplays (the script of films).
I am baffled by the power of stories. That despite the universality of some values or concepts like love, death, relationships, happiness, difficulties—meaning all the ramifications of what we call Life—we all experience such values in our own unique way. In a sense, we have our own story to tell.
Regardless of whether we lament on the banality or ponder on the profundity of life, when it comes to creating our own story, we are mostly in medias res: we are aware of the yesterdays and wary of tomorrows.
Interestingly, inasmuch that we commonly detest fake news, misinformation, or half-truths, our very lives are also peppered with lies—white lies if you will. Sometimes, what makes a story worth reading or hearing—even worth gossiping—are the twists and turns that make life not only livable but also unpredictable.
In the movie Rogue Agent (a 2022 British mystery drama thriller film), inspired by a true story, Robert Freegard was able to manipulate people by telling them what they wanted to hear: a university student having a boring life was promised to have more adventures if he joins the secret service; a woman was seduced when he promised freedom from her alienating work. I suggest that you watch this movie to fully grasp the talent of this conman and the power of words that can make or break people’s lives.
IN CONCLUSION, let us get excited in taking charge in writing our own story. That despite the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, we take the helm and chart our own course guided by our personal compass and philosophy in life./PN
