MY LAST opinion article was entitled Lessons from Ordinary Things, after it was published, I realized there are a lot of lessons from ordinary events and things that I’m picking up while quarantined at home. So, I will just come out with a series and call it LFOT so that the title doesn’t have to be very long. Here’s another lesson from the ordinary.
I live in a subdivision and my street happens to be inhabited by dog lovers. There are dogs along the whole street all barking out a greeting or a warning whenever there are people or vehicles passing by. The house right in front of me has at least three. One very old predominantly black dog with white underbelly, one small black and white dog with more white than black, and at least one other I haven’t had a clear look at. It’s a gated property that limits your view of what’s inside.
Now, these dogs love to bark. And while my dog loves to bark, too, these dogs do not get reprimanded for their non-stop barking. They are allowed to continue for as long as they have not exhausted themselves. So, there are times when they bark long and hard through the night. You can imagine how distractive that is, but I’ve learned to live with it. A former human hand, however, would be much appreciated.
My Dogdog loves to bark as well, especially at the two gray cats who come over to partake of my pet cats’ food. But it stops when I shush it or when the barking is very aggressive after I go out to scold her. Then everything will be quiet again until the next cat arrives or car parks in front of the gate.
This situation just underlines one reality: Anything that is allowed to persist will persist. If dogs are allowed to bark endlessly, then they will bark endlessly. If children are allowed to get what they want all the time, they will demand to get what they want all the time. If they are allowed to go on a major meltdown when they want, they will go on a major meltdown whenever they want.
Same with abuses, belittling ourselves, dwelling on bad thoughts, doing bad things, bad habits, everything bad, including bad decisions. Same-same.
While we’re at it, then why not focus on the good habits and thoughts and actions instead and let these be the ones to persist?
Case in point: That sweeper flight passenger who turned out Covid-19 positive only after having arrived and left the airport. We can assume that a series of small actions allowed to persist led to this major blunder.
One small action would be to decide in Manila to just test those showing symptoms because it will take time to test all, disregarding oft-repeated warnings that there are asymptomatic virus carriers. Another small action would be to conduct random tests again in Manila and again to save time on the belief that all passengers have already served quarantine time. Wrong on both counts and a planeload from all over the region are now suspect or living in fear.
But then, hindsight is always 20/20. May we keep whatever we learn in hindsight this 2020 throughout the rest of our lives. Amping!
saestremera@gmail.com