Yesterday after I picked up my new passport at immigration office, I went to district level police department office to apply for police certificate. After completing a form, I went to a small room where they took finger prints. Not very long after I entered the room to wait for my turn, a man came in. He smiled and asked if I was going to have my finger prints taken for police certificate. I said yes. And then we started chatting, and I found out that he was a candidate for district level house of representative member from political party X.
While waiting for our certificates to be done, we continued chatting. I jokingly told him that should he won the nomination, he should check out local immigration office. I told him my experience when getting my new passport. How I saw the immigration officers openly received bribery from people so they could cut lines. How I wished bribery and corruption would disappear from this country. How I felt that in this country, being honest was almost like making fool of oneself because in an environment where bribery and corruption were so common, one would get so much trouble just for doing the right thing. Just like when I chose to do the right thing when getting my new passport done, what I got was interview day delay and hours of waiting for interview while watching people bribe the officers to cut line. He said it would take a change of generation in politics and bureaucracy to make a significant change. I told him I knew that. But a change must be started anyway, no matter how small and insignificant it might seem. I told him I knew very little about politics but I knew that if one was willing to make a change starting from him/herself and inspire other people to do the same, in the long run it would make much bigger effect. And that he, should he won the nomination, would be more able to inspire many people to do the right thing than say… somebody like me.
While chatting with him, I didn’t realize that another man was standing behind me and had been listening to our conversation, until he suddenly said he understood what I was talking about. He then asked me which political party I was from. He then introduced himself as also a candidate for district level house of representative from political party Y. I told him I belonged to no party. I am just a common citizen, a nobody. He said I was being too modest. I said I wasn’t being too modest. Like millions of people in this country, I am nobody compared to those politicians sitting or will-be sitting in the house of representatives. And I felt somewhat lucky that for once, I could talk to one of them to tell them my honest opinion as a nobody.
I now drive better, I think 
Successfully drove from my sister’s place to home at night. Yes… my first time to drive at night, ever! And I didn’t hit anybody or anything
For the first time ever, I used 4th gear when I was driving from the market to home today. I know, I know…. it may not be a big deal to most people, but it is to me! I felt like I was driving really fast and all was good! Yaaayy~~ (^_^)v
Next challenge would be… driving to downtown. Good luck to me!
“To be spiritual is to live in humility. Arrogance and spirituality are mutually exclusive or inversely proportional to each other; the greater the arrogance, the lower spirituality and vice versa. Claiming a faith to be superior is sheer arrogance as it knocks the humility and spirituality out, indeed, it is the source of conflict and puts one on missionizing exercises.”
[Mike Ghouse]
Family and friends are sources of support. They are the first people to go to when you need support, of any kind. I can’t agree more with that. But recently I found out that… sometimes… you can get the support you need from strangers, simply because they understand better what you are going through. Because they are going through the same thing you are.
I would like to thank two strangers… two very brave women out there… who have given me the support and consolation I need. I hope someday I can be of your support and consolation too.
How many of us who are fortunate to have a friend (or friends) who can (and willing to) help us exploring our spirituality? I feel particularly fortunate because God has sent me such a friend into my life. And today I feel spiritually recharged, thanks to that friend.
I have been having some difficult times and struggling to find a way out. I wished some people would change so that I could stop feeling hurt and stop running away from them. However, I know them too well that I know change is not an option for them. It’s their way or no way.
I have always known that the only human being one can really control is oneself. I can only control myself. I can not control how people treat me or how they judge me. I can, however, control how I see things and how I react to people’s behavior towards me and how I feel about things. Today, my friend reminded me about that again. It is normal that I feel hurt and even feel abused because of sharp words and curses that I don’t feel I deserve any of them. It is easy to be drawn into hatred and desire to take revenge. But is it the best way to live life? Do I want to live my life feeling angry, resentful and in pain? No… I don’t want that. Life is too short.
Going beyond logical thinking and focusing more on spirituality would help me to react differently toward pain and abuse. Compassion, forgiveness, and letting go would bring me to peace. I found this true in just a couple hours after my friend’s reminder. Negative comments came in… and the rest of the day didn’t seem so bad afterall because I didn’t let those negative comments stay long enough in my mind. I let them go… and I feel so much better.
My dear friend AI… thank you, for everything.
