Why I Write About People

By Apolinario Villalobos

Long before I got hooked to blogging, I was already an ardent people-watcher. Most often, I am surprised by the flow of my thought that would touch on people as I begin to write. They become important element of my blogs about corruption as victims of exploitation. The same is true when I write about destinations in which they become one of the reasons why a certain place should not be missed by travelers. People who do benevolent acts should be cited and exposed to the world so that others will emulate their acts. On the other hand, people who exploit others must also be exposed so that others will be warned, and the guilty must be stopped from doing more harm.

It is not easy to write about people and their act, as appropriate words must be used so that the situations are clearly “painted” in the mind of the reader. I don’t use “bribe” in the form of material help or promises so that I can get their photos. In the first place, I do not take photos of people to whom I extend random charity. That is my case as a “small time street friend” who uses personal fund and donation from trusted friends. For honest and big foundations, however, that use donations from NGOs and individual philanthropists, they need “action photos” to support their projects, to show that the huge donations in their care, indeed, were received by deserving people and communities.

Materials for my people-blogs come randomly, from unexpected places, time, and situation. I am guided by the values in developing materials about them. These values are actually within all of us waiting for the right and timely motivation or “tickle” to be activated. But the people with negative attitude seem to be already bent on doing what is the opposite of the righteous. I do not find it hard to determine which is which because of the universal standard, that see-saw between the good and the bad. My best gauge is the “Golden Rule”.

What’s nice about people-blogging is that most viewers can relate to them. Conclusions can be derived and be made as basis in realizing a bad act, thereby, changing their bad habits for the better, or getting confirmation that they are doing just the right thing.