(NOTE: This essay was written amid the early days of the Community Quarantine in Metro Manila, Philippines. While eating a popular brand of cookies, a sudden surge of thoughts came inside my head because of the deadly pandemic—and my mind has traveled from one idea to another...to another... to another.)
It may be, perhaps, because I was not able to eat these cookies for a couple of months that I savor its nostalgic flavor. They taste so much better right now, especially when I know that I could not easily purchase them during these trying times.
But while enjoy nibbling on these delectable goodies, a growing anxiety continues to creep in as I bite on its hard crust. The cookie crust is as hard—or maybe— the reality is much harder than what I am eating.
I remember it especially when I read or watch the news: Most people are left choosing between safeguarding their health or filling up their stomachs, when in fact, both things should be provided for. It makes me upset knowing I cannot do much about this sad truth, as I am left picking another morsel of this American-made sugar rush.
A video about the unknown facts on the cookies that I am currently eating distracted me from overthinking the depressing reality. One of them is that when Oreo cookies were first manufactured in 1912, the brand had two other biscuit contemporaries: Mother Goose Biscuits and Veronese Biscuits. While the two other biscuits are already unknown to this generation, Oreos had withstood the test of time. At that instant, how I wished to have that kind of resilience when dealing with these bitter truths in life.
The sweet taste of the white middle cream continues to keep the negative thoughts at bay. Ironically when it comes to Oreos, I like the bitter hard crust better than the saccharine filling. This is not the case for what these food items connote. Even if I hated eating it, I continued doing so.
Eating sweet white filling, in an implied sense, is not all about yearning for a bed of roses. It is just to put enough petals on my mattress and sheets for me to smell the fragrance and remind myself that these romantic flowers still exist. I just want to be a hopeful realist.
What do these connotative petals and sweet taste remind me of? It is the success once hard work pays off, not only in pecuniary gain but more importantly, the satisfaction that can be derived from this endeavor. It is being able to help others, share talents, and learn. The thought also brings me to being able to love someone unselfishly despite everything.
While this generation of young professionals might be faced with a grim future, I am just thankful I was able to fall in love, be able to say that I don’t need anything in return when doing favors, and just stay grateful with the idea that I could still feel these emotions.
Perhaps, the greatest realization amid this lockdown is a confirmation of my previous belief to not have any regrets and to follow the heart always. Hands clasped, I pray every day not only for the pandemic to be over, but also for me to fulfill my dreams, and realize my purpose in this world.
As a citizen of this country, what could I do? I continued chewing the hard layer of my snack. A tweet from a young netizen said that if he agreed with the president, he is labeled as a fanatic supporter; if he disagreed, he is stereotyped as “The Jaundiced." If he doesn’t speak up and willfully obeyed, he is blind. I understand all these three perspectives. Given this situation, what can I do?
Just the thought of it rattled my brain. The words of Israeli historian Prof. Yuval Noah Harari hit me the most while thinking: “Unfortunately, history gives no discounts. If the future of humanity is decided in your absence, because you are too busy feeding and clothing your kids, you and they will not be exempt from the consequences.”
This is the reason why you and I must be always aware of what is happening in the contemporary society: It will not be our fate alone, but of our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, so it is always important not to just be aware, but to do what we can about what is right in the things within our control.
The Spanish Flu of 1918 provides the modern man a great lesson for the crisis we face today.
I pray that those who have the sound mind and judgment can influence the decisions of those in power and consider the lessons humanity learned from the previous pandemic.
While I cannot do much of anything, except to relay these words to you, I pray that those who conduct mass testing across the country will be successful. Amid this growing abhorrence to intellectualism and repudiation to leftist principles, I hope that whoever is in power, or that whoever is dominant enough to influence those in power, will still consider the common good. I cannot stand losing another loved one, and most definitely, I cannot stand another sight of people losing theirs either.
No one knows what will happen next. Even if humankind is destined to survive this health crisis, there might be other things that could hamper how we live our lives peacefully in the future. At one moment, it might be taken away, so it is for the best that we continue living without any regrets, follow our self-made principles, and do the things that we love as long as it does not hurt or discriminate others.
Just like the Oreo cookies that I’m eating, I pray that the Philippines, my loved ones, and myself can withstand the test of time.
For now, I’ll just live in the moment and savor this rich delectable goodness.
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