Lessons in Life

    Klaus

January 1, 2008 by Klaus  
Filed under Klaus

Working with many different types of truly respected and many times popular and famous in this country Philippines, and, before more than 30 years in my home country  Germany, has been quite an adventured trip for me. Good thing: I learned many important lessons in life.

One thing became one of the main lessons in life (especially here in the Philippines): strength - a very common divisor or number below the line in a fraction. I met a lot of people, who style, who designat and give a name to something - through strength. One need strength to survive or last long and to be respected in any kind of business and part of life.

During my last years in Germany I got the chance to meet some people in showbiz, because Berlin, the German media capital opened many doors. Showbiz people can teach you very important lessons in life, especially how to work, how to stand, how to sustain and how NOT to give up easily. Yes, also here in the Philippines I met such people in showbiz. The daily “Chika Minute”-TV news about stars never show us the real background.

I met people in Philippine radio and television business, who appreciate simple things behind their strong and serious facades. the show has always to go on - but how blessed are those, who still hear the whisper of God’s voice, experience the calmness of the night or observe the brightness of the moon, the movements of the clouds and the sweep of the wind. Every day - a dull reality (as I wrote in one of my first columns in TINIG NG BAYAN, the VOICE OF THE NATION!): sure it will be so - without strength!

We all wear masks, like the actors and actresses on stage. In the Philippines and everywhere. Sometimes we pretend to be what we are not. That’s human. Hence, in Greek, we are called ‘hypocrites’. Rina Jimenez-David in her Philippine Daily Inquirer column (September 2005) and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof describe it as follows: The biggest gathering of leaders in history unfolds at the United Nations, as they preen and boast about how much they are helping the world’s poor. In short, it may be the greatest assembly in history - of hypocrites!” How very true. Do you think, they changed the world???

No mask like open truth to cover lies as to go naked is the best disguise. Hypocrites are the last, who will teach us strength. They just pretend goodness and dissemble their real nature. The great pretender (sorry Elvis!) to virtue or piety can be finding at any corner. Behind every mask slumber ultimate dreams to be simple, to be a good citizen, to be a good expat or a good family member or leader. I’m sure, we can still find such ideological people in politics and society, who love to live a life consistent with what will make them happy by having a project that contributes to a community or the whole nation. Such people I do admire - also in the Philippines. They learned and they taught us life’s lessons, especially strength and hope for a whole nation.

Also in 2005 Philippine Energy Undersecretary Peter Anthony Abaya in the soaring of the worlds oil prices and their effect on our economy stressed, “The present political activities have not helped at all. … We need nothing less than to act as one of nation to tame the cancer of oil and avert an economic crash come 2008!” Now we are at the beginning of 2008. How can we describe the outlook for the Philippines and the whole world?

Lack of money is the root of all evil, and democracy is a system ensuring that the people are governed no better than they deserve. What we need is fewer rules and regulations and more good examples. Examples of strength and hope and faith. Lessons in life… .

About the Author:  Klaus is from Germany, but has been living in the Philippines since the late 1990’s. Klaus is a journalist by trade, having written for a number of newspapers, studied also Publishing House Management and Marketing and has also been a Radio Host here in the Philippines.