Book Series: SENIOR MOMENTS ARE FOREVER

31st MOMENT: Honesty, Empty Gas Tank and Corny Farmer

Situational honesty: People are honest, if they have no choice. In Batanes there is a place in the port going to Sabtang Island called HONESTY CAFE. There are no storekeepers, you just pick the goods that you want and drop your payment in the counter. There are similar establishments in Western Samoa. If you think it is something admirable you are wrong, because in both circumstances the stores are found in small islands where criminals have nowhere to escape! ------------------------- Corny: We have a small subdivision lot that we planned to convert into a leisure farm. We hired a farmer caretaker hoping that he would be able to plant vegetables and other cash crops as a business. I had a hard time convincing him; every time that we talk about farm production he would talk about corn, he is passionate about planting corn, and he always won in our argument! ------------------------- Irony of ironies: “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to go ahead!” ------------------------- Dancing queen: When I was assigned in Mindanao during the post-crisis rehabilitation period with the MNLF we brought a beautiful visitor from the Spanish embassy in Manila to our project in Siocon, Zamboanga Sur. She was good in Tagalog, so I had to caution the villagers not to talk improper words because she understands. In the evening there was the usual welcome party, and there was a dance following local tradition to place money on the clothes of the dancers. She joined and enjoyed dancing while the villagers pin money on the dancers. After the music we examined how much she got – she collected only twenty pesos! ------------------------- Driving a brand new Car with an empty tank: While working in Mindanao I decided to replace my old SUV with a diesel-powered sedan in Davao City. After I got the purchase documents myself and Bong, a friend of mine, confidently drove away the brand new car to my place in Cotabato City. In our excitement we forgot to stop by a gas station, so when I looked at the fuel gauge it was almost empty! I panicked knowing that a diesel engine will stall if the fuel pump will be empty, and then I will be in trouble with the dealer. A gas station was not in sight. So Bong volunteered to look for a nearest one while I stayed to watch a brand new car with an empty fuel tank. After 20 horrible minutes Bong came back with a gallon of fuel. We struggled to pour the fuel to the tank – trying to hide our face from friends who might see us and thought how stupid we were driving a brand-new car without a fuel! ------------------------- Testing friends: I remember a story of Mang Severeno, an old man who always regale our bariomates with never ending stories. One day he went to work early in the field and then started to shout: “HELP I WAS BITEN BY A SNAKE!” Of course, almost everyone went rushing and upending each other to carry him to his hut. Upon reaching his place he stood up and told the crowd: “Thanks guys, there was no snake, I just wanted to know who will be willing to carry my corpse when I die!” I was informed that when he really died, it was a merry happy event. ------------------------- How development is measured: Development is not measured by the size and height of buildings but on the number of people that have and are benefitting from them. It is not measured by the volume of corporate investments but on the velocity or how fast money is transferred from one citizen to another. The first is vertical development the second is horizontal. In democratic capitalism the government should work on both plus on diagonal strategies to give all people the chance to participate and enjoy the benefits. ------------------------- Oh, before I forget, one more item: I have only one addiction; Backpacks! I had one big collection because I got the itch and I cannot help buying one every time I see attractive ones, or every time I see somebody wearing one. But I don’t know what happened – because now I have only one! ------------------------- The best way to determine whether a person is toxic or not is to smile to them; if they don’t smile back they are definitely toxic. ------------------------- Have you tried the singing waitresses and cook’s restaurant in Pasay? It’s making money. I wonder whether a laughing or crying waitresses and cook’s restaurant will also make money! What do you think? ------------------------- I would like to cite here a post from a BFFs about why we are not progressing in spite of our natural wealth. The study reveals that compared with other people whose countries as not as rich as we are endowed majority of the people abide by the following principles of life:

1. Ethics

2. Integrity

3. Responsibility.

4. The respect for Laws and Regulations.

5. The respect from majority of citizens by right.

6. The love for work.

7. The effort to save and invest.

8. The will to be productive.

9. Punctuality