“If I will not do it…who will”?

“If I will not do it…who will?”

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Until now, so many “friends” still keep on asking why I am writing about other people’s lives. They can’t seem to understand my objective to bring the virtues out of the subjects of my blogs to inspire others. Obviously, these “friends” are the type of persons who are just concerned about themselves.

 

These are also my supposed “friends” who read my blogs without letting me know about it so that their “like” which is one way of sounding off their view, will not add up to the other “likes” and comments. They know that the more “like” my blogs generate the better impression that my shared ideas give…which these “friends” do not like. By not mentioning anything about my blogs every time we meet, they could have made me feel better, but unfortunately, they pester me with annoying comments that are tainted with hypocrisy.

 

These “friends” also cannot understand why I go to the extent of exploring slums and befriend those who live on the sidewalk. For the tenth time, I tell them that I just want to be authentic or realistic in my presentation of what I write about. And, for the tenth time, they also just shake their head in disbelief. They can’t imagine me eating burnt rice with people I mention in my blogs, also eating with fingers, food cooked out of the salvaged wilting vegetables with these same people. For them, I am weird for doing those. My explanation to these “friends” that I relate well with my subjects because I have been through such a life of want and inadequacy, is futile.

 

Another thing that they cannot take is my writing about the corrupt practices of some government officials and lawmakers. They thought, they are helping me by giving admonition for me to leave these maggots in the government alone. Understandably, these “friends” never care because they are not affected as they are financially stable. They are not affected by the traffic because they stay home most of the time and if they venture out, they are driven by well-paid chauffer. They can’t feel the gnawing effect of high prices of basic commodities because they lead a luxurious life.

 

In exasperation, just the other day, I asked one of these “friends”……”if I will not do it, who will?”, adding sarcastically, “why not try doing it as you might be able to write better than I do?” I feel that he and the rest are just trying to pull me down. With such kind of hypocrite crabs living with us, it is no wonder why the Philippines is wallowing in a neck-deep muck of desolation.