T H E T R U T H!

PART 1:  Through my already long lasting 74 years of age (even if these thoughts were written 20 years ago, without losing, until now, their reality) I have never stopped being amazed by the elasticity of truth, and its acceptance of infinite variations, without ceasing, because of it, in being a valid truth for the individuals immersed in this motivational exercise.

The cause for it, in my understanding, is the almost, also, infinite rationalizing capacity of men, who can, in exercising it, justify, and convince themselves of possessing it and being sure of their righteousness, in everything related to them, or in any particular scheme or circumstance.

Even if is, really, an absolute contradiction of what´s real, rational or logical, in terms of the adopted and defended stance , up to the second before a forced need for change arises,

Consequently, I believe is better than talking “truth” in an abstract sense, what we should do is to talk about “our particular truth”, our “personal realm”, “our internal motivations", being them what determine and shape the basic justification of our actions.

It is unfortunate, in my judgment, not to have a consistent and invariable, through the years, personal truth, because we would not have, if we possess it so, to be subject to the, to and fro, of other people’s interpretations.

Tainted interpretations, for not to say influenced or conditioned by what they consider “their truth”, a truth they want to impose on us, to be consonant with themselves and their material surrounding environments, social, political, financial, or whatever these could be.

This originates a ruthless game, an unmerciful one, of mirrors hidden behind other mirrors, as carnival masked puppets, frantically jumping without realizing that the music is over.

The most perfect similarity that could allow us to understand this, is our watching, sound off, the images, moving, jumping, gyrating, gesticulating, on the television screens, specially, when rapidly changing channels with our remote controls.

Since then, since my early mature years, and now, when my age allows me to understand all this with a greater clarity, I got to see that there is no point in blinding submission to any social system, because no one of them assures the permanent stability of their members.

This assurance and group acceptance is only provided as long we are useful or it is convenient to have us, to show us, or to take advantage from what we can offer for the furtherance of the particular interest of the group´s controllers. 

Consequently, our loyalty is forced to shape itself to the convenience of the group, and the commitments or compromises (especially those that violate the responsibilities and social rights in general) are decided or carried out, by the convenience´s pressure.

We should always have in mind the predictable consequences, in case of failing to count with the group´s protection, whatever the social, financial or political reasons for this isolation, rejection or abandonment. It is only way to keep intact our mental, spiritual and emotional sanity in times of defeat or adversity.

PART 2: IDEALS AND INTEGRITY VERSUS PRAGMATISM AND OPORTUNISM.

We can give any name we prefer to the demands and conflicts, but the problem is always the same, even if we bury our heads under the sands of convenience or disregard, unwilling to recognize where are we are found lacking.

Lack of ideals!  Lack of faith and hope!  Lack of motivation to live because of the abundance of motivations to die as I heard one of my sons sharing in a conversation with a group of his adolescent friends!

I, unpremeditatedly, heard him so while writing, on our dining room table, some of my reflections on our exiles´ life, while they were animatedly conversing in the living room of our home.  They were discussing what they considered the fundamental causes for the conflicts and alternatives they foresaw in the near future.  

I was not able to stop thinking that it was so unfortunate that at so early in their life they were already foreseeing such a disquieting and pessimistic, from the moral point of view, and so creatively from the materialism they saw as the most pervading factor in their present days.

And this just because we have been neglectful in our responsibilities for fostering the selection and training of real leaders!  Not the type of those who love and spend their nights conniving how to place themselves at the front rows of the masses.

I was considering at that time, and for the first time, the alternative that these types of leaders could present if they were also truly committed Christian leaders and seekers, not of front line limelight but  of the following and serving their communities, because of Christ, not because of their charismatic personality and presence in the podiums and pulpits.

I am thinking about the politicians, priests, pastors, union leaders, or of any other groups, and organizations, involved in a constant proselytizing effort.  

I am thinking about the businessmen, entrepreneurs, merchants and financial conglomerates and corporations.  I am thinking about the military and all government coercive institutions, the judiciary and the legislative.

I am thinking about the carpenters, the plumbers, the mechanics, the technicians, the common workers, the professional, the activists,  knowing their personal worthiness and their honesty beyond any manipulating schemes, asking for the rightful remuneration, nothing less but also nothing more than deserved.

While listening to the animated discussion I started to visualize individuals, families, , communities and societies with positive and real moral values, crystalized into their corresponding social ones.

This, insistently, more and more, was leading me to the conviction of motivating, training and developing these types of leaders are the utmost need, even if it takes time and suffering before achieving it.  Real, inevitable, not just dreamy, impossible or utopian need!

At this point in time I was already utterly conscious of an inevitable fact.  If we do not radically but positively change our societies we will see ourselves facing their total destruction in not so far a future.

Maybe not through a paupering revolution, which is entirely possible, but more unfortunately, because it cannot be openly challenged due to its mesmerizing appeal, through a frantically materialistic society.

An apparently progressive and plentiful one, where, despite the insurmountable social classes differences, deeper and deeper, as time passes.  A totally encompassing society that encourages in us all type of moral and personal sacrifices for the sake of personal wellbeing and success!

Listening to them I began to be acutely aware that in their training not their sacrifice resided the solution.  Than more than convincing and shaping up intolerant and blind followers, what is needed is to educate, teach how to wisely differentiate what is real and what is fake,

It is necessary to instill in them the need for distinguishing fundamental from superfluous, understanding and flexibility from egotistically convenient compromising, steadfastness and righteousness from wickedness, disguised perversion, fatuous, ignorant and shameful intolerance.

All the mesmerizing and fashionable alternatives presented to them, nowadays, have failed.  That of destroying to rebuild is not a feasible one.  That of gathering chosen ones to pontificate before them as the sole possessor of truth and justice is the most unfathomable one.

Because following these paths there will be nothing to restore or rebuild.  What we will have are intolerant masses, indoctrinated into Fanatism and a nefarious proclivity to violence, turning into utopia the social need to wipe the tears, mend the hurts and protect the defenseless and the paupers, especially those among the youngsters.

This is what we need to change… this innate tendency, in the immature societies… to admire, promote and blindly follow the caudillos of the day.  We believe that venting out our frustrations, insecurity feelings, inefficiency and opportunism, through this insensate vulgarity, intolerance and violence, we will get our piece of the cake of the spreading out privileges and opportunistic enrichment.

PART 3:  THE CONFLICTING SOCIAL PANDORA BOX OF OUR TIMES.

Let´s become practical.  Let´s put on the table the whole panoramic puzzle of today conflicting issues.  What is that we have to frontally define, confront, challenge and change? 

In what segment of the puzzle are we?  What can we expect from each segment of individuals and groups that are messing up and compromising the nations´ future?

Check over, and decide.  After deciding what, stop talking and start walking and doing something worthy of leaving behind? And if you can´t do anything… bend under the yoke and don´t complain!

The panorama that has not changed!  There is an undeniable fact.  One system is being replaced by another one… more ruthless… more cynical… more outwardly violent and gross… one that do not care to keep appearances anymore!

What´s the use of shouting and calling it is a worse copy of the one you got rid of?  Why is the stubbornness of refusing to acknowledge that the newer system built up a blind following by way of giving it the spoils of the older one?  And added to it the crass resolve to keep its power and control at any cost?

If the solution lies in the future generations what is being done to prevent to gain them over with bribing crumbs, such as petty scholarships and bicycles, openly given in exchange of their submission and support?  Who should be doing what?  Who are the players in this pitiful show?

The players… who are they and where are they?  The defeated ones who have to resort to live in exile or subjugated under the political yoke and abuse… and silent?  The silent survivors who have found a cozy place to live in, even in exile, and prefer things as they are to quiet, and appease, their conscience for the actions, done or omitted in the past?

The clamoring ones who just do that, clamoring and shouting? 

The ones who live precariously and keep on dreaming of times past?

The ones who have been able to get by and also keep on dreaming of times past?

The silent and opportunistic ones, who use the past to fatten up fake credentials, to be taken in consideration for the partition of the political cake?

The divided ones who shout and compromise, pretending to be pragmatic when choosing the littlest and lesser of all evil, and evildoers of today?

The cynical manipulators who disguise themselves as the saviors of today, conveniently forgetting of their crimes in the past?

The presently recipients of the crumbs of the day, always impatient and insatiable seekers of what others possessed?

WHO ARE YOU…? WHERE YOU ARE…?

WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO…?

REMEMBER…  THIS IS NOT JUST A NATION NIGHTMARE…!

IT IS BEING REPLICATED EVERYWHERE!

AND VIOLENTLY SUFFOCATED BY THE OPPRESSORS

OF TODAY!

REFLECTIONS FOR A SON

I have been lately referring myself to my hope in the young people from my native country Nicaragua, which have been, unfortunately, so widely present in the news, not for the good things happening there but for the political uncertainty, abuse, violence, and confusion.

These circumstances are no solely reduced to one country. One way or another they are present in every society these days. They could vary in some details but the undercurrent is there, flowing stronger and weakening the societal structures.

The younger are specially targeted by this consumerism, incessant pounding of flashed out manipulating messages, because the forces of evil well know that they need to destroy or at least control the future that naturally lies in the hands of these younger peoples.

My hope is that they are going to find the way out of such a mess, in the future, near or otherwise, if they decide to do so, giving birth to a real change in the social structures, beginning with themselves, their family, community and the entire nation.

This does not imply, at all, that the task is only theirs. We, the adults, whatever the group, political or otherwise, we feel part of, or have placed ourselves into, have the primary responsibility of showing them what the fundamental values are. Those values that will rule and guide them through life!

Errors, abuses, mistakes, egotistically convenient compromising, have existed, exist, and keep on existing, unfortunately. But these harsh realities should not impede our corrective actions, not for the sake of self-justification, or keeping the fire of confrontation raging on.

It is necessary and unavoidable to show with factual actions that there is always room, not for keeping such compromising alive, and expanding more and more, but for the reconversion of the lost values, showing things as they really are and having in mind that only the truth will save us from this apparently unending chaos.

It is not a matter of giving up! On the contrary it is the matter of standing tall in the strength of our integrity and our realization, as I said before, that only the truth, and the resolve to abide by it, will bring peace to our conscience and consequently to our spirit.

The so chaotic, confusing, uncontrollably passionate situation, nowadays, in this country of my birth, to the extreme that impartial thinking has been replace by the inordinate insult and emotional violence, has brought back to my mind the reflections, that 34 years ago I shared with my sons, specifically my oldest one.

I want today to share them with anyone who could want, impartially and serenely, consider them. Here it is what 34 years ago, I wrote, for them to use them as a reference guide for the posterior behavior of my sons, of whom I am fully and satisfactorily proud of seeing how they grew up and faced life, raising their wonderful children.

“A few days ago, when my children came, as they usually do to our bedroom, I noticed one of them with an expression in his face, more of bewilderment than confusion.

After giving me the good morning kiss, following the pleasant usage that such a great influence has had in our family cohesion, and so rarely seen in the modern family relationships, my son, the one with the frowning face of that day, cozily dug a place in my bed and started telling me about some circumstances, asking me questions and expecting, as always, that my answers would adjust themselves to truth, that he in his innocence accepts as an incontrovertible fact coming from his father´s mouth.

Dad, we are in strike at the school. They say it is because of some imprisoned Sandinistas and because we have to save the nation, at the cost, if necessary of our blood and life.

Dad… why we have to go to the streets to fight if all I want is to study to be one man like you when older? This is what he asked me with his innocence shining in his still not totally awaken little face.

Dad… we have been already three days on strike and I am bored because they do not impart classes nor let us play sports as we usually do. Those who came to our school, told us not to let us be brainwashed by our reactionary parents, and that we were obliged to keep on strike.

Dad… the last time we were receiving classes a group came shouting and they forced us to leave the classrooms. All were happy because they were not going to have to study, and we all went to the school playgrounds, but a few went to the school gates to shout and make all kind of noises.

Listening to my son, frankly, his questions, and more than his questions his bewildered attitude startled my heart and thought at such an early hour of the day, even before leaving my bed. I was so grateful to the Lord in the bottom of my heart for allowing us such confidence and trust between my sons and me, their father.

I was grateful for seeing that there is still respect and my voice is still heard as an echo of the truth. Because it´s me, their father, who express it! But at the same time I felt a crunch in my heart for having to explain, hoping not to further confuse him by complicating that complex accumulation of things that distort the right understanding of the ongoing facts that will affect, somehow, the horizons of the intellectual and moral structure of our children.

Because… how to explain to my son that what he is being expose to is just an intentional distortion of facts, a generalized cowardice and a total claudication of the paternal authority, an unforgivable betrayal of the ideals and magisterial responsibility when wickedly molding the children and adolescents spirits of the students placed in their charge, so they jump into the streets trying to do and change what we, the adults, do not dare to do or change.

I tried to explain to him that society will always be unjust, despite who is at the helm, and that there will always be, discriminated against, social classes or peoples, due to or because of incapacity, lack of education, opportunity, lack of will power or laziness. I tried to explain that the pretended equality, so loudly demanded, is an enticing protest slogan, if does not affect the personal interest and convenience of the protesters.

Because in the case of the college students who incite the high schoolers to join them instead of all together prepare themselves to become qualified professionals, preferring to protest and demand equality, freedom of thought and speech, association and so many other mob attracting slogans, why?

And I emphasize why do they do not consent and accept in their groups those other students who do not agree with them? They also have the right to express themselves, to dissent, to study, to defend the government, or to simply be government people or their children or family.

The way out of this social mess and extortion must and will come out of the same students. Not believing this is to deny the resilience and the vital spirit that resides in each generation. Actions lead to reactions. Protests beget protests. Negative actions, one day will bring out positive ones. And in this case, the students will be the cradle of the re-born hopes for the country. And they are awakening. They have begun to protest and demand what is rightly theirs, a positive future.

PART 2. THE VICIOUS CIRCLE OF ABUSES, CORRUPTON, PROTESTS AND DEMANDS! USUAL CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES!

Continuing with my comments, and referring to the consequences of living an adult life without a solid base of education, training, values and resolve to commit oneself, since early age, to personal integrity and hard work, I tried to explain to my son how the love to “live in an unending ballyhoo”, looking for the “stone” (excuse or means) to seek, to get, to keep and survive in a position or to obtain an unmerited privilege, originates the most vicious of the cycles.

I tried to explain to him that one fundamental cause for the excesses is the lack of academic proficiency and civic and political maturity of many students of yesterday and today, because even if they presently present themselves as graduated professionals they are really no more than perennial protesting student and failed and failing political opportunists.

This vicious approach to life worsens, and gives birth to the violent and out of control protests and demands, when failing to get the privileges sought, or losing them, irately or bombastically proclaim they quit because of their honesty and civism, deliberately omitting how many years they fought to keep themselves profiting from it.

Because it is too easy to shout and protest instead of studying when the academic authorities, which should guide, lead, orient, discipline and control the quality of the education, just happily tolerate, and navigate with the flow, to avoid the rising of opposition or antipathies against them.

Opposition or antipathies that could threaten their dubious popularity, or even worse, manipulate and incite the students to favor their personal interests and motivations, as the inflated budgets they control without any external supervision, or more wickedly use them to finance or promote subversive movements.

Much of this happens because they surely know that in a few years expanse they would get rid of these immaturely protesting students, graduating them even if unprepared and unqualified, sending them to the social and financial survival arena with an insufficient baggage of academic, intellectual and moral resources.

Because they care the least that when they confront the financial obligations required by a growing family of their own, that besides loves ask for bread, protection and decorous conditions for their development and support, these students would be forced to leave their families to continue the struggle for the social demands of their youthful years. Their mentors and distorters of their future care the least they have to do it, this time out of need and not of idealistic motivations, as before,

Meanwhile, my son, you will always see that the first in the long line of social manipulators, those including the magnificent rectors, the sapient intellectuals, the journalists, and politicians, self-proclaimed as committed to the welfare of the poorer, will keep on pontificating, leading, corrupting and navigating the waves of the juvenile concerns.

So, I tried to explain to my expectant son that corruption is a two ways´ road, as it needs both a corrupter as well as a corrupted one, and that the responsibility is an equal one on both cases, especially when the personal interests is what count, only, without any regard to the bloody future filled with misery clouding the horizons of the collectivity because of our willing blindness to the consequences of our decisions and actions.

I continued with the explanation why I personally supported the existing governing structures, despite being clearly conscious of its weakness and the ruler´s personality. Because it scared the hell out of me the easily foreseeable future in case of his disappearance or death, due to the almost absolute lack of real leaders committed to the nation’s future and the social welfare of all our fellow citizens. And sadly enough the situation has not changed at all until now. We could even say it has worsened beyond any reasonable limits to their nefarious behaviors.

Because the dissenters and revolutionaries, and even worse, their local and international patronizers and accomplices, and all those that will pop up through the coming years will, unfortunately, keep on caring only for their financial convenience leaving behind the ashes of what the hard working people have laboriously built up despite the imperfect scheme in what we have been, for decades, immersed. But a scheme where no one is forced to be corrupt because there is no need for it! More than abundant are the willing one to fatten the existing one!


PART 3. THE TWO SIDES OF CORRUPTION,

who is the more corrupt one, my son? The ones who bribe taking advantage of their social or financial means? or the bribed ones abusing of their positions of authority or power to coerce?

Because these ones accept the bribe and satisfy their real or imagined needs and greed.. And the others, who bribe, do so, hypocritically, even if later on shouts and complain about the impunity and prepotency of the regime, demanding its annihilation, without thinking or caring that more violence, impunity and abuse could and surely will be the logical consequences.

There is no desire at all, and at all levels of society, to accept the individual and collective responsibility that we all have within the social environment we are placed or seek to be placed in.

The transgressors who intimately know they are such a ones, and purposely bribe, or demand undue privileges, instead of honestly and civically accepting the consequences, and on top of all that, brag with senseless impudence about their slickness in getting out of trouble, do not have any moral standing or strength to, later on, indignantly protest because of the rampant social injustices, when the bribe they offered is considered insufficient by the bribed to be.

And the sorrowful circus show goes on and on... Transgressing, bribing, bragging, protesting, demanding, in the most vicious cycle because it has become a natural, clever, customary, necessary, or at least for the fewer ones, unavoidable way of modern living.

Try to understand that the present struggle is not about social liberation but of the clash of wretched and bastard financial interests, confronting one another, or juggling and conspiring for the best place at the table of the nations´ wealth. There will always be financial operators and callous politicians that will make the most unbelievable pacts, acting together for their own benefit.

And what about the people on the streets…? Running around, destroying what they can place their hands upon… Exposed to the violence of mob control operations… and sweating and bleeding while following the journalists harangues, while they, privately court those government forces they attack in public. I could tell you about it, but it would unnecessarily extend these reflections.

It is for all these chaotic and chameleonic manipulations so difficult but at the same time so easy to explain why the young and the ignorant are incited to leave their schools and their homes to take to the streets in violence, disrespect of the natural rights of the family and society, pretexting to defend those same rights.

And I repeat, my son… it is so difficult and easy to explain because the real cause for the easiness with which these social operators manipulate the masses, is the monumental blindness of the adults, we all, who should be guiding, leading, protecting, illuminating the darkness of the social environment you will have to live in.

This is why, my son, why the social alternatives will worsen as the times pass, because the governments are the reflection of the collective attitudes of the people they govern or control. And until we realize, accept and decide to change from inside out, we will only cede the place to the daring and the mesmerizers of this world.

Because the social maturity and responsible civism are not the result of shouting and protesting on the streets, but of the individual and collective resolve to build a logic better future, based upon the hard work, rightfulness, honesty and justice.

Because blood only begets ad spill more blood. Because what it took decades to build can be destroyed in a single day. Because the revolutionary of today will only be the aggressor and the tyrant of tomorrow!

I only hope, my son, that you close your ears, mind, emotions, to the fleeting harangues of today, and prepare yourself for the hard work of tomorrow, safely ensconced, within the safe and secure protection of your parents, and home.

This is my utmost desire. The dream, the objective, the task of your father who does not want to evade the responsibilities acquired when we brought you to life.