We’re actually in the middle of a recession but things around my neck of the woods are still normal. People go on with their daily lives – sending kids to school, doing the laundry, going to the market, watching movies and shopping for pieces of clothing every now and then. Most of us don’t own big houses, have large sums in our bank accounts and can afford luxurious holiday on a cruise liner or anything similar to those Orlando vacations . We remain at the mercy of corporations, running errands for them and thriving at our meager incomes. But the astonishing fact remains. We remain happy and content with the small things we receive daily.

I think that cultural mindset of Pinoys makes all the difference. We don’t stab ourselves with knives at the slightest failure. We simply laugh at them knowing we will survive whatever it takes. We have been through the worst of our times.

I wish that can also be said of others. Let me share what I learned from this evening’s church service, taken from Christianity Today:

The Paradox of Our Time in History is that we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; more medicine, but less wellness. We read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. These are the times of tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years; we’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.