Yesterday

            I’m reminded by  Beatles Paul Mc Cartney’s popular ditty “Yesterday” writing this piece  early dawn today.  Hmm trouble might really stay each day and would be further stretched ad infinitum tied into a brand new day depending how you treat it.  Better that fast or failure prompt resolution of  the problem of yesterday would further accumulate add-on headaches and once reaching proportion of no-return like  crisis would leave you both physically and emotionally drowned. Better face it early you would regret the next day not fulfilling it, the song says.  Not good as this constitute extra baggage in your journey.  Isn’t it?  The lighter, the faster and the better your travel would be, the earlier you reach your destination.

 This is explainable as today was once a yesterday taking what is today into its fold as another yesterday when that new day sets in tomorrow.  This is the stuff life is actually made of – dynamic, ever changing round like the circle in spiral continuously weaving showing that windmills in our mind.  The bottom line is the immediacy of time. 

That gives us importance of revisiting yesterday as longing that some very important connection with today and the  future would be secured putting everything in its rightful perspectives. Not sure dealing it with  lovelife as trouble really comes along in handy when you are not resolved of maintaining your identity once you get there. Touching livewires? This is definitely the real culprit among married couples.

            Rights of this song was actually already bought by Michael Jackson reading his biography. Who might have bought it away  from Michael might have also enjoy the handsome royalty from the song.

            My experience unfortunately yesterday was not worth writing as it took me a lot of patience, sacrifice and understanding to make it through. Regretting even almost that I might have differed the completion of “Peace for Mindanao”, my 12^th entry to this challenge as I was really dog tired arriving home, my eyes almost popping it out from their sockets pressured finishing that entry  before I dozed off  to bed late in the evening. Thanks anyway that I made it.

            Yesterday, might really that unpredictable lot. That we must deal it is also  a given or we might lost somewhere down the road of our travel.  I personally like relating it to the works of Mr. Paulo Coelho, who incidentally wrote mostly his works – The Pilgrimage . . . .  in Spanish. He has been very successful and received even an award as the most translated author whose works have been translated into more than ninety languages and still counting   by Guinness Book Records. Methinks however that his works are not all that impressive using those familiar trite plots and probably enhanced by translators as they edited his works for publication.

 But this is precisely how  his works best shine leaving  imprints of his genius and creativity  – treating ordinary subject of the past in new ways  instilling his own brand of character as writer. That could be an impressive lasting testament how yesterday makes a difference for today. Well, what do you think could be his best contribution then to general reading public. I think his beautiful phrase “the world stands still conspiring your search of your ultimate dream until you find success . . . “ best fit of the beauty that is yesterday. And true enough, take seriously person you meet on the road in journey. They might be strangers,  shepherds, Kings and all that. It doesn't make any difference. All of them are people needed in the completion of your pilgrimage.

            But of course, yesterday has  its downside too. But for as long as you have the heart to take it its blows no matter how devastating drawing your strength  from within, I  think you could really pull out the best from you making and completing your day. Problems? This is the stuff  life is made of.  And isn't it that practically peanuts compare to the love of God, practicing Christians would love saying. Tell me who are people who don’t have problems anyway? Too many of them now resting in peace in cemeteries. So you like to make your day? Come on, face each problem as it  comes along!

Yesterday’s experience queuing up the line that long only to be dismissed right in few minutes for lack of vital documents, was simply a bad day to me. But the service provider lady was damn right! But why treat you to an endless and unpredictable long hours waiting for your priority number to be called when other servers could have attended addressing your needs? But no. None except that lonesome lady entertaining her impatient clients in a row.

Bureaucratic red tape, a term used for this unpopular dilatory tactics. Red tape implies here documents set aside as they might be confidential in nature to be treated separately; thus, incurring useless hours on top of impatience, high blood among concerned clients. Wrong signal as this scheme is purveyor of graft and corruption in many offices.

Such has characterized different agency in the government reason why Philippines has leapfrogged (and been staying there) as one of the most corrupt country in the world. All offices are vulnerable on this; some have been there; others are candidate of this and many in terminal stage  suffering this malady. Hope that the government could now level up dishing out fast delivery of services given the Information Technology revolution that has been happening all over in the country.

            And PAG-IBIG is no exemption. Gone were the days brady when PAG-IBIG would process your claim in less than an hour, a friend working inside confided me. We read actually your article congratulating us for such outstanding service, he said recalling how I return the compliment of their super fast service. That I wrote an article in my “Rainbow” column back then at Mindanao Gold Star Daily. But again, time flies high. We are now required processing thousands of claims daily; thus, requiring each client’s indulgence, he begs the question.

            Oh really, why wait that long when you could make your service this fast. Blah, blah, blah – is the thought running my mind today having been drained physically yesterday.

           

But not all government agencies are that inept.  Capping the ordeal yesterday was a breather when I proceeded to GSIS to secure that important retirement document. I was pleased that the service extended was downright opposite from that of PAG-IBIG as the lady requested  for a day before I could get it as the manager hasn't affixed yet that paper. Again, I thought!

This became moot and academic though today as that same lady would  soon send a text message that said document was already forwarded by GSIS provincial office to my end and  whose receipt by the way was already acknowledged. Wow!

            Nature is seemingly empathizing yesterday’s dramatic plight as rains has been intermittently going on inundating many below sea level provinces in Mindanao. That said, I would like to ending this piece. Incidentally, ours’ here at Cagayan de Oro  overlooking the City is yet to record any destruction or lost of lives. But  I‘m confident that there would be no casualties and destruction of properties as the City government has mobilized earlier another concerned agency tasked in monitoring unpredictability of weather. 

(13^th Entry for My 500 Words Daily Challenge – January 14, 2014)