WITH HELEN J. CATALBAS
WE ARE all products of our roots. Who we are and who our offsprings and downline will become are results of the roots that produced us. Our proposition is parallel to the saying “by their fruit, ye shall know them”.
Just like species of trees, some human roots are long and widespread while others are short and narrow. No matter what, no matter how, the fact remains that both roots and fruits define each other.
In our present time, when we say we go back to our roots we mean we go back to the home place of our forefathers.
Our roots refer to our home country, home province or home town.
We go back to our roots when, after spending our productive years in a foreign land, we decide to retire in our country of birth.
Our roots can be located in as near as the next province which is only a 15-minute boat or car ride away or it can be located halfway across the globe or even farther.
It seems to us the distance of our roots from where we used to study, work or live for the longest time is immaterial. What is important is we can trace our bloodline back to several generations of relatives we call our forefathers.
We take notice that dictionaries are not gender-sensitive. If they are, why the absence of such words as foremothers and forepersons? If ever there is the presence of the foremother and foreperson in the dictionaries, why are these words not used in mass, literary and or legalese communication?
We are not raising the red flag and marching to and fro here because certainly doing so is our cup of coffee or any other order of the day. (To be continued)
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Through this column, we greet our followers Happy World Tourism Day on Sept. 27, 2023.
In my roots, Buenavista, Province of Guimaras, Philippines, Earth, we celebrate World Tourism Month through a Digital Logo and Slogan Contest and Buenavista Tourism Quiz Bee Contest that span the entire first Ber month of 2023.
Wanna bet?/PN
