How come we’re still stuck in a rut?

May 21, 2008

Miss Snotty: I don’t know whether I should be happy that the weather we have this May is not May weather at all.

 

Sir Uhm-a-lot: They say it’s global warming. They’re fussing about it. But I don’t really know… surprisingly I don’t have an opinion about the weather lately. I don’t feel very affected… at least until the footage from Pangasinan came in.

 

Miss Snotty: Oh, yes, my boyfriend’s family lives there. I heard from the news that some parts of the province are still steeped in flood water. The good news though is that the senator I’m working for is planning to send relief goods. Well, at least, his staff is. Planning, I mean.

 

 

Sir Uhm-a-lot: And his name appears there. Last I heard floodwaters are still higher than an average human. Is he there?

 

Miss Snotty: The senator? Of course not. One of his staff is going with the stuff. That’s how it works in the Senate, my dear Sir Uhm-A-Lot. Isn’t that amazing? I still remember your monicker! And it’s been a year, once we think about it.

 

Sir Uhm-a-lot: Yes, Miss Snotty. A year, and only five commutes! But I was referring to your boyfriend. Of course, politicians can’t really be trusted. Then again, on second thought… he - your boyfriend - can’t be there. Prolly not, at least.

 

Miss Snotty: Oh, he’s working here in Manila. Hasn’t been to his hometown for two months now (I think). Nah, you can trust some politicians. The problem is the trust has to extend to so many levels that you don’t know where it begins and stupidity ends.

 

Sir Uhm-a-lot: Perhaps, perhaps, but I guess most people can’t discern between that now. I mean, we’ve been through a lot and we either trust easily or don’t trust at all… just a thought. A rambly one, at that.

 

Miss Snotty: I do agree with your ramble. Trust or don’t trust. There’s no room for vacillation.

 

Sir Uhm-a-lot: Vacillation… what?

 

Miss Snotty:

 

vac·il·la·tion /ˌvæsəˈleɪʃən/ –noun
1. an act or instance of vacillating.
2. a state of indecision or irresolution.
3. unsteady movement; fluctuation.

 

Sir Uhm-a-lot: Uh-huh. That’s what I do best, thus the name. But really, why can’t we be so… decisive? I remember this TV ad lately. Propaganda, sure, but it makes a point. We’re fickle to the point of not making any progress.

 

Miss Snotty: Well it might be that most of the time we dont have the information we need in order to decide with conviction. Its not always as simple as deciding whether we should have apple juice or orange juice. It’s more like, should we have apple juice with maybe ten, twenty-five ingredients, or orange juice with four other ingredients, or apple juice and orange juice, or apple juice with orange juice? In the first place, does apple juice have more nutritional value than orange juice? And so on so forth ad infinitum.

 

Sir Uhm-a-lot: Aha, and the case for transparency comes up. But somebody like me would think that all we really have are wild guesses, because some will say one thing and others will say another. So much for the truth, I guess… there aren’t versions, but there are… err… there’s something else. I can’t find the term. Garrrr.

 

Miss Snotty: Wild guesses… there’s the truth out there, as I still like to believe. It’s just that it’s so hard to arrive at that most people just don’t bother. I mean, we say we want truth, but we don’t say anything about actually finding the misbegotten thing.

 

Sir Uhm-a-lot: They just ask for it, expecting it to be given in a silver platter? Guilty. But I’ve tried, so probably I can get away with it. Can they?

 

Miss Snotty: Hmm, they, they, it’s really hard to tell for a bunch of blank faces. Maybe we arrive at truth in our own ways. Some fast and better than others. Some not at all, and not only for lack of trying.

 

Sir Uhm-a-lot: But I guess that gives them relief, knowing that it exists somewhere. Perhaps those in the flood can hope that someone will get there as soon as possible. They know truths, in fact - that two weeks ago somebody suffered a worse fate and got worse because nobody came. They can wait. And yes, that’s another ramble.

 

Miss Snotty: Sometimes I don’t get a lot you say.

 

Sir Uhm-a-lot: You told me that before. As in… right here.

 

Miss Snotty: No, I don’t think so. It’s another time, dear. Anyway, the hour is late. and tomorrow is another gloomy May day. Summer’s almost done—and I feel relieved.

 

Sir Uhm-a-lot: Oh, but today is that tomorrow you’re talking about.

 

Miss Snotty: Indeed.