Hate Can Kill

Hate is a normal human emotion. But when a person harbors it for so long, it causes so much pain and agony and it can kill him.

Hate that spawns greed and jealousy is a virus that the person can spread to others and the problem--disunity, wars, and other conflicts-- is multiplied in the world.

Love can defeat hate and this was the message of the Teacher of Galilee whose enemies killed him on the cross. A hating person has a closed mind and love has a hard time penetrating or entering this closed door that consumes him or her.

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"This is the true joy of life: the being used up for a purpose regarded by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."--George Bernard Shaw 

What "Nakem" Means

"Nakem," an Ilokano word, has multiple meanings that include intelligence, intellect, consciousness, awareness. It has a moral sense, as in "naimbag a nakem," (roughly translated as goodwill) which reflects a positive Christian value as lived by the Ilokanos, an ethnolinguistic group in the so-called Amianan in Northern Luzon, Philippines and the Ilokano Diaspora in Mindanao, Hawaii and the US Mainland including Alaska.

The 12 Nakem Conference was held at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on November 16-18, 2017.

The Wisdom of Not Judging a Situation

Just let go. Roll with the punches.
This is easier said than done, especially those who are physically abused. The emotional scar takes a long time to go away. But the healing could take place early.

J. Krishnamurti, the Indian guru, said, "What happens does not affect me," or something similar. He lived a long life and his wisdom is known far and wide.
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A Zen master, reacting to a report, said, "Is that so?" Another said, "Maybe."

Nothing is permanent; all is temporary, in transit like the high wind that will not stay and destroy.
Sic transit gloria mundi.  St. Paul spoke of transitory glory.

This, too, will pass. A wise man said this to a king. And he, the ruler, lived in peace and quiet.

You may have all the wealth and the honor in the world, but you, when the time comes, will leave them behind.

Prayer For Cancer-stricken Friends

Our Heavenly Father, you created Mariel and Feliciana for your own purpose and enjoyment and you smiled at their birth. They, too, worked among your creations, according to your will. But they are only humans and they also suffer as they go on with their separate lives. They have been afflicted with a disease for many years but it is hard for them to defeat this illness. Have mercy. Free them from pain and agony.


1. Mariel R., formerly of San Fernando City, La Union, now a long time resident of West Covina in California. She lives with her two children--a boy and a girl, now grown-up, all born in the Philippines. Mariel was married to a certain Tony, also from San Fernando, who left her when she was still working at the regional office of the Philippine Information Agency.

2. Feliciana J. A., a Bannawag magazine writer, before she immigrated to Darwin, Australia. She has been married for many years to a Lithuanian, who traces his roots to a European royalty (Lithuania). Fele has been with an Ilokano writers' organization for the past years. The husband, in his Twitter account, is soliciting $100,000 donation for her wife, now 77 years old. She originally came from Villasis, Pangasinan.

"There is a time for everything; and a season for every activity under heaven."--Ecclesiastes 3;1

"Writing is spooky. There is no routine of an office to keep you going, only the blank page each morning, and you never know where your words are coming from, those divine words."--Norman Mailer,  an American author, in his book,"The Spooky Art, Some Thoughts on Writing"