Well, as much as this post was delayed -- as this was supposed to have been what I was to post several days ago instead of the Polar Icecaps thing, I still cannot let this particular thought go just like that... despite the fact that the ecosystem is something note-worthy at the moment, it's still nice to rest for a while from that topic and instead post something of a reflection I had while I was watching a particular movie after reading a particular book.

Tuesdays with Morrie. I wonder how many know of this short albeit wonderful book by Mitch Albom. It, like the rest of Mitch Albom's novels managed to touch the hearts of those who, not just read it, but grasp the full meaning of his book -- all of its lessons. It is certainly one of those books that readers end up getting more than they bargained for. Oprah seems to be one of those people who were touched by the said book -- a book that recounts the events that took pace as Mitch Albom's old college professor was dying. Although, admittedly, I do not like Oprah, I applaud and commend her in producing the movie based from Mitch Albom's best selling book.

I am, in all honesty, not a fan of tear-jerkers or sappy stories. However, this movie -- although a certified tear-jerker, is something I can't seem to get enough of no matter how many times I watched it -- all of those times it made me cry. One reason for this is Morrie's (the old professor's) words -- his lessons on life and his conversations with Mitch Albom, on what they called in his deathbed, his and Mitch's "Final Thesis together".

Morrie spoke of a lot of things and Mitch Albom shared all, if not most, of this things with his readers. All the things Morrie spoke of were all about life, death, love -- everything that would mostly make people go quiet. The first of the many things that he said to Mitch, and which seemed to have found itself echoing in my head, was this: "If you know how to die, you'd know how to live.". He said this as he wanted to show Mitch (and everyone else) what it's like to be dying. He wanted, as he would put it, to be a "human textbook" on the subject stating that, "I've been teaching all my life. Why would I stop now?" I don't think anyone who's dying would even think of that. I know I wouldn't. I'd probably fear everyday wondering if that day would be my last. Death -- that's a subject everyone is so uncomfortable of, after all. Morrie's comeback on it? What did he say? He said this to Mitch when Mitch fell silent on the mention of death: "No one wants to die, but we will all die anyways."

Another thing that struck me, in terms of the old Professor's words was a story Mitch Albom recounted about a college basketball competition that he and his friends had attended while still in their college days. He said that during the competition, they were all chanting: "We're Number One! We're Number One!" over and over again. Then Morrie, who was seated several rows from them, looked right a them with a confused face and asked, "What's wrong with being number two?"

"What's wrong with being number two?" Such a simple question but... at such a question, what could you possibly answer to justify the notion of being the best? What would everyone say about it? I can only imagine myself mimicking that same question to my friends and I am sure that they'd all look at me like I'm crazy. After all, in our world today, everyone and everything is so competitive. We, as much as we would deny it, are only thinking about our selves with the rule "Survival of the Fittest" being used in our everyday life.

The mention of that line, "Survival of the Fittest" made me remember something quite contradictory to its message. The words, "No man is an island, no man stands alone" are words that no longer have any meaning as what seems to be quite popular these days is the "Crab Mentality". Everyone wants to be the best, even if it means stepping on others to get what they want. Everyone wants to rise above others even if they need to use such means as cheating, extortion, corruption, or whatever. No one wants to help others and because of that, it creates a cycle where everyone is expected not to help and not to ask for any help -- it's what people seem to think of being Independent... a misconception of the meaning of the word.

"When we were infants," says Morrie, "we depend on our mothers to survive. When we lay dying, we depend on others. But you know what, in-between, we also need to depend others. Love one another or die." (This is quoted from the movie based from the book). People think that dependency is a very bad thing, but Morrie seems to think otherwise. It seems, for him, it's okay to be dependent. It's okay to need others. Doing so doesn't make one weak, contradictory to what most people believe now-a-days, but rather, it makes one quite strong.

Out of the things that Morrie may have said or done that, whenever I read or watch "Tuesdays with Morrie" would always make me cry is that on their final Tuesday together -- When Mitch broke down and cried saying he didn't want to accept that Morrie was dying on which Morrie replied, "But I am.".

Such a strong answer for someone who was dying -- who can not move by himself, who can no longer do anything by himself -- a frail, old man.

But despite his strength, Morrie did admit that he does fear and wallow in self-pity, wondering what he could have done to deserve such fate. Every morning he questions this and cries. But the amazing thing about him is that he stops and tells himself, "that's enough of that for today". Morrie also felt regret for the things that he did not do rather than the things that he did.

Moving on with the scene of their "good-bye" that is so heart-wrenching....

Morrie, amusedly notes on how Mitch still does not know how to say good-bye. I think anyone would agree that saying good-bye to a loved one, especially a dying loved one, is hard. Very, very, hard. What Morrie taught Mitch on their final Tuesday together was how to say "Good-Bye" -- it was rather a surprising way to say "Good Bye" too for it was quite quiet. Quiet in a sense that what he said for a "Good Bye" did not even reach ten words!

Normally, I think, if you're placed on such a predicament, you'd say millions upon millions of things -- I don't even think millions upon millions of words would suffice to say everything you want to say. But for Morrie, silence, a hug filled with love, and the words: "I Love You" was more than sufficient. Maybe they found saying anything more than that just plain hard. Maybe they do not know what to say. Maybe they did know what to say but Mitch Albom decided not to mention anything more of it perhaps as it was a very hard subject to tackle. But whatever reason it may be, that final scene with Morrie, that final Tuesday was a "touchy-feely" moment -- a moment that could always make me cry.

Tuesdays with Morrie became a best selling novel. Morrie may seem idealistic but, his ideals and those last bits of knowledge he imparted to Mitch Albom and to the millions who read the novel, change a lot of lives... I am certain of it.

Somehow, it makes me think if there is such a person like Morrie in my life. Is there a "Morrie" who can teach me so much in just a short while? And even, I wonder if I could write as good as Mitch Albom one day -- write something that can touch the hearts of the readers and make readers think and even change their lives. Whenever I think of the possibility that I could become such a writer, it makes me feel happy. I guess, apart from really enjoying myself whenever I write, wanting to help change the world through written words and through my novels is another reason why I continue to write (even though I have no idea if people actually read anything besides my fanfictions, lol.)

The greatest thought that I had come across with when I finished re-reading the book and re-playing the movie?

Well, my greatest thought is this:

At this moment, there are perhaps 7, 647,818, 617 people in the world -- give or take a few. Some are running scared. Some are running home. Some are lost and confused while some know exactly where they are and what they want. Some with nothing but their lives while others have more than they can possibly use in one lifetime. Some tell lies to make it through the day, others are now just facing the truth. Some are evil men at war with good, and some are good struggling with evil. Some people live lives with happiness, other live their lives with regret. Some take it slow while others have life rushing by them so fast.

7, 647,818, 617 people in the world. 7, 647,818, 617 souls... and sometimes, it only takes one person to change your life for the better -- like how Morrie touched the life of Mitch Albom and the rest of the world who knew and read about him as his life was being drained out of him, or change your life for the worst.

7, 647,818, 617 people in the world. 7, 647,818, 617 souls... and sometimes, all you need is one.

Okay, so I was about to post some reflection I had whilst watching "Tueday's With Morrie" -- a novel-turned-movie by Mitch Albom (also writer of Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day, and the likes) when, just as I was about to go ahead and type said reflection, a news got my attention as my father increased the volume of our TV set.

My father was watching CNN and as I was about to type the words 'Tuesdays with Morrie...' and start on that reflection, the headlines on the said News Network (the only news network that I would actually watch... yep, I am NOT a fan of ANC as much as I am NOT a fan of the Kapamilya Network).

It was a shocking headline. One that I had hoped never to hear in my lifetime or on the next generation's lifetime. It was the news concerning the Polar Icecaps -- the one in the North Pole in particular.

48 hours. That's what the scientists have announced as the 'time limit' before all the Ice melts on the northern end of the world. 48 hours. That's what the scientists have announced as the 'time limit' before islands that have a lower altitude get drowned by the rising waters from the melted Icecaps. 48 hours... that's just two days. Two days...

I don't know how true that is, the whole 48 hours-thing. I remember several other coverages where scientists make predictions and CNN covers them but not all of their predictions come true. However, if you avidly read news whether in its printed form, online or simply watch the news, you may have heard how this is the first time in the history of the world (as we know it) that the Arctic would be potentially Ice-free -- a stark sign of global warming.

"The Arctic sea could break apart completely at the North Pole this year, allowing ships to sail over the normally frozen top of the world." That was the opening lines of the news.


If I were an "alien", a "time-traveler", an "ESPer" or any of those "out-of-the-ordinary-beings", the next bit of news would really make me say, "Human World Leaders are really an idiotic bunch of people." How so and why would I go so far as to say that?

You would have thought that such news would alarm every single country, kingdom, or whatever on this sole planet capable of holding all sorts of life form... But No. Guess what countries such as Russia are doing? They are arguing. "Of what?" you may ask? Well, not on finding any solution to the potential drowning of the world but rather arguing over who has the rights to the region's resources, including potential oil reserves! I know for a fact that oil price has soared to $150/barrel and it would only take a couple of years before oil reserves are depleted, but...

Just when you thought Countries and World Leaders could not get greedier... they would just prove you wrong. Instead of fighting over resources that would eventually vanish unless humans change their ways, shouldn't leaders be more concerned about the survival, not just of their country or of themselves, but everyone in the planet as well?

The "funny" thing about this is that when the scientist found out about the 48 hours thing, they called for a meeting... Okay~ so, just what do they think they can accomplish in an emergency meeting just 2 days before their prediction? Shouldn't they have also moved before hand? Why wait before it's too late?

Powerful countries have all the resources, all the man power, all the leverage in the world to protect this planet or start to act and be the "examples" for the other countries that are not as powerful as them. But instead, they just think of making more, and more, and more, and more money. Yep, money makes the world go round... a stupid notion that should never have been thought of. If you ask me, I would wish that there was no such thing as money (though I have a vague and almost-fairytale-like idea on how things would turn out).

I can somehow figure out what those Global Leaders who should be leading everyone to a brighter, more secure future are thinking. "It has nothing to do with our country, so why bother." or perhaps, "There's always next year and the year after that, we can help then." or maybe, "Global Warming would not affect us, why waste resources? Let other countries deal with it..."

Well, I got news for them. The rapid loss of sea ice can trigger widespread changes that WOULD BE FELT ACROSS THE REGION. Every year, things get more out of hand with regards to global warming. I would rather not wait for it to go way out of hand before I would act... at least, that's what I think. Call it idealistic and laugh at me if you will, but unlike most people I simply cannot put it off and brush it aside for later.

The thought of delay reminded me of a story -- an old legend, that I had once read. The legend recounts how Satan once called together three of his top aides so that he might make a plan about how to stop the effective outreach of a particular Christian group. One of the aides, Rancor, proposed, "We should convince them there is no God," Satan sneered at Rancor and replied, "That would never work. They know there's a God." Bitterness then spoke up, "We'll convince them that God does not really care about right or wrong." Satan thought about the idea for a few moments but then rejected it. "Too many know that God cares," he finally said. Malice then proposed his idea. "We'll let them go on thinking there is a God and that He cares about right and wrong. But... we will keep whispering that there is no hurry, there is no hurry, there is no hurry." Satan howled with delight! The plan was adopted, and Malice was promoted to an even higher position in Satan's malevolent hierarchy.

Who can tell how many souls have been lost or lives sorely wounded or regrets made because someone has held to the acceptable notion: Delay is OK? Would it be better to adapt the saying: "The wise does at once what the fool does at last."?

Just how too late are we to save the earth from the impending doom brought by Global Warming and man's unending desire for more and man's greed? Can we still make a world that is not painted in gray -- a future where no flowers or trees or any other floras and faunas exist? Can we still make a world that is not painted in gray -- a future where the beautiful, lush mountains filled with all sorts of life, pristine blue waters filled with mystery and wonder, clear skies that would bring awe to all those who look at it in daytime or in the blackness of the night with millions of bright stars visibly shining as far as the eye can see, not something that could only be read on books or maybe viewed at in an LCD screen -- another one of those fantasy worlds created for entertainment?

Just how too late are we?

The answer... well, that depends if you are one who probably got engulf and enchanted by Malice's words and Satan's plan (as recounted in the above mentioned legend), then perhaps it is already too late. But if you are one of the few who "Dream Big", if you are one of the few who believes that a small act can help change the world, if you believe in that unseen force that would aide humanity, if you believe that it IS time for a change and that another day should not be wasted, then the answer is... "you're just in time" and "we can make it".

Maybe I am way too idealistic believing in such things that we can make a difference in our small ways. Maybe, in a world where the most important things are "I", "Me" and, "My"... maybe I am beyond idealistic in thinking this thoughts and everything else I've written in this blog (and all my other blogs) to this point in time. Maybe I will just be disappointed believing in "the power of humanity".... Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? But I don't plan to just sit around and do nothing about the things that I know not only would affect my life but those that are around me and those that would go after me... after all, I'd be more disappointed of the things I didn't do than of the things that I did.

On the third planet from the sun, the largest of the inner planets of the solar system, human life has found a cozy home. That home, in which man has emerged as the most successful species of fauna for 2 or 3 million years now, is composed of an atmosphere, a hydrosphere and a lithosphere. Air, oceans, and terra firma -- all of them are heavily polluted in the course of man's inexorable conquest and ruthless exploitation of his environment. That is the reason the earth is an endangered planet. Its most successful tenant seems determined to destroy it, and destroy himself as well.

How has man endangered the earth on which he lives? By sheer fecundity, in the first place. There are over 6.6 Billion human beings on earth today (most of them in Asia), all of them in need of food and shelter that are often extracted directly from nature, all of them producing waste and garbage every day.

For about 200 years now, chimneys of industry have been sending up billowing clouds of toxic gases into the atmosphere while pouring noxious effluents into rivers, lakes, and marine shores that are already poisoned by the fertilizers and pesticides of agriculture. That is perhaps why red tide blooms are more frequent, more virulent, and more toxic than they have ever been -- a super abundance of nutrients that find their way into the oceans. Whole forests, the lungs of the earth, that produce the oxygen without which human lives would not be possible, have been obliterated in the name of progress. That is why this country's mountain ranges are badly eroded, and aquifers have run dry. For the past several decades, the human race has been sending up chlorofluoro carbons (CFCs) out of spray cans, refrigerators, air conditioners, and hamburger boxes into the atmosphere where they attack the only defense that the earth has against the sun's ultraviolet bombardment -- the layer of ozone cells 10 to 30 miles up in the atmosphere. Without that defense, we get a lot of problems: skin cancers, eye cataract effect, the heating of the earth that could melt the polar caps and drown whole coastal cities (Metro Manila among the first of them), strong typhoons, and many more social ills.

How much more abuse can the earth take? No scientist in the world today will claim that he knows, but reason says that, in spite of the Ecclesiastes, given man's constant assaults against it, the earth cannot abide forever. During an earlier age, the land, the sea, and the air had an effective defense against man -- their sublime immensity. Man looks puny in the bowels of the jungle; adrift at sea, he is but a dot in eternity of marine and sky blue. But today, against 6.6 Billion human beings that are reproducing at a tremendous velocity, a jungle is less awesome, and the sea grows vulnerable. Forests are being burned and converted into something else at the rate of an area the size of a football field per second. And whole oceans are smothering in the garbage and soil spillages of human civilization. There are indeed, big patches of dead coastal waters in various parts of the world, incapable of supporting marine life.

No, the earth does not abide forever. And the only way for her to abide a bit longer is for man to convert from being her attacker into being her protector.

Who here wouldn't know what viruses are? Whether you a computer literate person or otherwise, you would have an idea of what these "things" or "beings" known as Viruses are.

For IT Professionals, or those people who knows a mouse from a keyboard or at least has an pinch of knowledge on computers would know that viruses computer programs that can copy itself and infect a computer without the user's knowledge. Malicious programs such as these tend to destroy files, corrupt data, and ultimately render a Computer useless. Everyone who has a computer definitely would do anything, spend a lot of money even, just to ensure that their computers are protected from these Viruses.

Now, if you are clueless as to what Computer Viruses are, you may know of another definition of a Virus that isn't used in Computers. This is the virus that can cause your body to "malfunction". In medicine, these viruses are the cause of sicknesses, infections, and the likes. If you're still unclear on what viruses are, then I can only sigh and point you to google and ask you to go and search for it, just so that you can understand what these things called "Viruses" are.

Now, I bet everyone could remember the "I love you" virus which was developed by a Filipino and which caused a lot of computers to malfunction... at least, those computers whose users ended up opening an email without thinking that it could spell trouble, especially if it came from someone whom you do not know. (That's how most people get infected. They open up e-mails that they know not who the sender is, or e-mails that state they won something... you guys should be careful or you'll regret it later).

Everyone would also be familiar of other viruses, which I am not going to name as it would take forever to list them all. But the thing is, this viruses do not even compare to the virus that I am going to tell everyone about.

The virus which I am going to unveil to the world also has the ability to multiply itself -- give birth to another virus, so to speak. Every day, a virus of this kind emerges in this planet... of course, at that time, this "young" virus wouldn't be as dangerous as the "adult" ones.

This virus has even greater capabilities of destruction. Any other virus would not even come close to it.

This viruses can spread an infect others, and can cause deadly effects even to those it does not contaminate... albeit this virus' effects could take time to show itself.

The thought of what this virus is capable of doing and is doing... that thought is scary.

Do you want to know what this virus is? What it's name is? What it's called?

This virus is called... the human race.

I can only guess what most readers of this post might think. Some may think that what I just wrote is stupid. Others would double back and re-read that sentence again just to ensure that they did not read it incorrectly. Some would even laugh it all of and think that I am an idiot of some kind who's just wasting other people's valuable time telling them that the human race is a dangerous virus. But just before you close your browser or hit the Back button on your Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, or whatever... just bear with me and listen. Open your minds and see that what I say is indeed true and does indeed makes sense.

I have already given the definition of what a Virus is -- it's something that tends to destroy its host. We as humans, are viruses, we tend to destroy this world that we live in. Just look around you. Global Warming, Wars, Kidnappings, and all sorts of other crimes. We humans tend to have the disposition to do whatever it takes to survive...

But...

In order to survive we fight desperately and "devour" those that we defeat.
If you think about it, those wars, those crimes... the pain and the suffering that they bring... Must one kill other living things in order to survive? Must we destroy our world just to live in a moment of comfort? The wounded in turn wound and torment those who are weaker than they themselves are. That could easily be seen as the battle between those who are rich and those who are poor; those who have power and those who are powerless.

Right now, that's how the world is divided... The "killers" and those who are "killed". The sinners who are judged, and the victims that do the judging. What meaning is there to such a world?

Why can't we humans live in harmony with nature like our ancestors did? Why do we continue to act the way we do without a care for our mother planet? Do we not see what the outcome of our choices will be in the future? Can we not hear the woes of the planet, the cries of the Earth -- the strong typhoons, the almost endless drought, the almost endless rain, the confusing weather, the earthquakes, the thunderstorms, the hurricanes -- the anger and wrath of nature... of the very same nature that we have abandoned and cared nothing of?

In the end, we really do seem like viruses, don't we? We can't call ourselves "parasites" since even parasites care about their hosts -- which they do not destroy, after all, if their host dies they too will perish. We on the other hand only care about the now. We only care about the betterment of our lives even at the cost and expense of others and of the planet.

In the end... we are the same as Viruses. Destroyers.

Is it not yet time for us to change? Take a look around. Close your eyes, and open your heart's eyes...

Each of us are given with the freedom to choose. But we should choose not to be selfish. Our generation is not the last. There are others who will be born. We should care much about them, about the world that they would live in the same way we care about our nows and futures.

Each of us must take responsibility for the choices we do make. We have to do something about the way we go on hurting and killing one another! Isn't it time to close this chapter and create a brighter future for our generation and for the next and the whole of mankind and nature?

Love to hate... Hate to love... Why are we born? Why do we die? The "survival of the fittest"? What is there to be achieved from harming one another... Killing one another?

We alone, as one person, do not have the power to heal the world's woes or solve all of its problems and mysteries... but, if we all work together, I am certain that there would be a way to save our "dying" planet.

I for one, do not wish to be remembered as a Virus, by the generation that would follow me. I for one, do not wish that the beauty of Earth be only read about or thought of as a myth by the future generation. I for one care about the world and even in the smallest, simplest ways try to show it and do something about it.

I may only be a voice -- a single voice in the roar of the thunderous noise of today's lifestyle. But, as my belief states, even a single droplet of water can cause a wave.

Let this be a new wave.