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!