I DO NOT hold grudges.
No, not really.
But if I do, I can afford it. Haha!
Grudges and anger, like hate, are bad for one’s soul.
So, I don’t get angry.
I don’t get mad.
I get even.
***
I may get nasty when I get even.
Make people pay ten times their one original tiny fault.
As my crazy rich Ilonggo character always says, “Forgiveness is for poor people who can’t afford Justice!”
***
To be honest, no one who has crossed me has come to any success in this life.
All the people who have hurt me, they suffer now (or have died) in one way or another.
Or, at the very least, my life is way, way better than theirs.
***
The universe loves me.
I love the world, and the universe.
I love Logic, and Reason.
And Justice, and Love, and Mercy, and Compassion.
I serve the world my sense of Compassion.
I give Mercy when I choose to. Whenever I decide!
But I extract Justice.
As my crazy rich character always says, “I maybe slow in plotting my revenge, but I’m plotting my revenge!”
***
I also settle for others what they can’t do or achieve for themselves.
In that way, I am most pakialamero.
And because I am trained by my creative and newspaper writing to form an opinion, I give my opinion on matters that need an opinion.
Or when the public opinion is most confused.
***
I even give my opinions on matters that do not consult my opinion. Haha.
Sometimes, my opinions are just an opinion in an ocean of opinions.
Sometimes, my opinion becomes the ocean, and gathers much waves.
For example, my Facebook post on December 16 about the Christmas lights display at the Dumangas plaza.
Three weeks after my post, I’m still stopped and hugged by people who “admire my courage and bravery” to criticize what they admit to be the “darkest and ugliest Christmas lights display” (their words, not mine).
***
Let’s revisit my post, which is a series of photos with the following text:
“The sad Christmas lights, and the sadder Christmas tree at Dumangas Public Plaza. (Looks better here because of my iPhone 13 Pro Max, but pretty dark and depressing in real time.)
Do they think I’ll charge them a big Artistic Consultation fee to have a better designed Christmas light display for my beloved plaza?
***
“So many wrong moves since Haw-as Festival stage designs, lighting, et cetera. I did not travel the world and see cities of lights to suffer this!
So yeah, I will not suffer this! I will not be silent about this!
Do not argue budget. Because right now, the sad lights run on a certain budget!
***
“They ‘saved’ a few thousands pesos by not having an art professional consulted. They can now ‘earn and enjoy’ many thousand insults from every passerby. Haha.
(Overheard: You put it up, the people put it down. Haha.)
No meanness, just the Truth.”
***
No meanness, just the Truth.
Because there’s no reason for me to be mean.
It’s not like I’m dying to see Christmas lights displays.
I didn’t even go to Pototan.
But I did pass by Guimbal and Tigbauan, the Molo Plaza, and the Iloilo Provincial Capitol on my night trip from Antique.
And I was in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, the Christmas capital of that part of Luzon in early December!
***
I mean that the La Grand-Place in Brussels, lighted everyday of the year, is hard to beat as far as lighted squares are concerned.
And I’ve been to Paris, and other best lighted cities of Europe in the Christmas time, so I am not asking for grand lights.
The point of my post was consultation.
Of experts.
***
Which my town hardly recognizes in matters artistic and cultural.
I mean, if people think that it was a great festival year for Haw-as, they are so wrong.
Oh, so wrong!
So catch my next column entitled “Dumangas In the Dark”./PN
