Virtual vs. Reality

“Do you have plans to marry?” The question was abrupt. It took me a while to absorb its weight. I mused in search of a quick reply. One doesn’t ask this type of questions to a person who just awakened from deep slumber... 

I gazed at my dad stuporously  wondering what he’s driving at... he continued, “Do you have plans to marry ........ the laptop? You’re spending too much time with an inanimate object again...”  addressing the objects of my affection to my books, keyboards, paint brushes and pens... My dad has his way of driving a point and for the first time I couldn’t bring myself to argue with him (he might take away the laptop forever... nyahahahaha!)...He has always been tolerant of my “misuse” and “overuse” of things --- I knew he wanted me to discover the “lessons” behind them for myself.


In fact, I’m living a very comfortable life right now. Even my mom was lauding my single celibate state. Problems on married life keep on presenting themselves at our doorstep and although I’m not directly involved in them I just couldn’t resist formulating my own comments. I’m an advocate of strong family life. I’m a product of one. But my siblings and I --- well, each of us has his/her own eccentricities --- my mom just couldn’t understand that. I was telling my mom while having our casual talks over lunch that when I came back to the Philippines two years ago, I was preparing myself for marriage and having twins...I even wrote that on my Tagged dreams... but over the months that passed I caught myself deleting one by one the dreams I used to have...am I disillusioned by my siblings’ experiences? Not really. I just have questions. 


Last year, my brother’s partner had therapeutic abortion because of hemorrhage. Since this might lead to shock  the doctor had to remove the baby --- he was four months old already...the prospects of having a nephew drew back. I grieved over this and never got to share this even with my intimate friend. But what really surprised me was the fact that my mom said it was better that way... better?  Economically speaking yes... and people do have choices... but... I guess I was being idealistic again...

People prefer to have only one child. In China, they even have that policy...but they are looking over it now seeing the consequences of not having children in their country... And for limiting the female’s existence  there, they’re now encountering problems in choosing their partners. In Japan, they hire nurses and caregivers for the elderly because of the increasing “aging” population. In Europe, couples prefer “trial marriage,” living-in or having dogs as “children”... How about Orissa, India and cases of female infanticide? In a news by Brett Wilkins in Douche du Jour (21/2/2011), stray dogs eat baby girls who were left on the roadside by mothers who do not want them.


http://morallowground.com/tag/india-abortion-girls/


I do not judge but I’m asking for things that are more important in life...

So this leads me back to my father’s question and spending time with my virtual friends... as I enter my heart to seek  the essence of my choices... I really ask God’s guidance to discern which path I should take.