mighty proud

i was having second thoughts about writing this one. i actually should have written this several weeks earlier. i finally decided to let things simmer down for a bit.

i took the picture above on the same day i shot the letter A (the hidden picture), also at the park where i accompanied my daughter. we were passing this long row of flagpoles and my eye caught this angle. i was amused by the juxtaposition of these flagpoles wherein the tallest one in the forefront, the "General", was actually sort of leading his "troop"in a respectful salute to the sun which was about to set. the flags were all gently waving in the breeze, somewhat eliciting this realization in me that most people flock to the park because this is the place where they can exercise their own version of Freedom even for just a short period of time.

this is the place where we forget our worries, our pains, the drudgery of life's hard times. this is where we enjoy SPACE: physical space -- far from the confines of the cocoons we call houses, mental space -- to seek respite from the onslaught of thoughts that clog the mind and give it unrest, and emotional space -- momentarily releasing the heart from that prison we call attachment.

at the park we run unfettered, we savor the breeze, we enjoy the scenery, we relish the energy, we feel the vibrance of life, we laugh as we see father and child unashamedly rolling in the grass, we smile secretly as we pass by a pair of stern looking old men playing checkers, watched intently by a handful of kibitzers who are as quiet as the most devout churchgoers,

and we are free to shoot pictures ...

so i go home mighty proud, like the "Flag General" and his "troop", that we have this park where we can go to and be momentarily free.

and then the following day, just a day after this exhilarating feeling, we watched the news, dumb-founded, unbelieving, just a few blocks away from where we were yesterday

HOSTAGE CRISIS!! GROUP OF TOURISTS KILLED!!

a filipino police officer shot dead a group of tourists he held hostage. it was said the negotiators botched the job and the hostage taker panicked. it was said he was trying to seek redress from an injustice he felt was done to him. i really did not delve much into the details. there's so much finger-pointing going on now.

what i know is this, a group of innocent people were killed, just trying to enjoy the park i was so mighty proud of,

just yesterday ...