Inconsistencies in this World

By Apolinario Villalobos

Life is full of inconsistencies….

One day when I hitched a ride with a lawyer friend, he intentionally broke a traffic rule by beating the red light. When I asked him why he did it, he told me that there was no traffic enforcer anyway…and, he is a LAWyer!

When I visited another friend who I know is an advocate of alternative herbal medicine, I heard her remind the caregiver of her mother about her antibiotic that should be changed to another brand, obviously, a stronger one for an eighty-three year old. She learned about the strong antibiotic from her internet browsing. When I reminded her about her advocacy and mentioned garlic as a strong natural antibiotic, she told me that her mother MAY not like its taste. What worried me is that my friend is deciding on her own about the synthetic antibiotic as a “preventive” drug for her aging mother! This friend keeps several boxes of apple cider vinegar at home just in case the Bragg family of America stops making the expensive medicinal concoction from the apple juice. If my friend is in her charitable mood, she gives me a bottle or two to take home, and act which keeps my mouth shut, instead of arguing with her.

Another friend who is an advocate of family discipline sends his 12-year son out to buy his favorite local rhum at a corner store. He also sends the same son to the kitchen to light his cigarette in the gas range burner, thereby, making the poor boy make the necessary initial puffs to keep it lighted until he has handed it “safely” to his father. Ironically, my friend brags to his friends that no son of his would ever have a taste of alcohol or even just a single puff of cigarette while he is alive!

Then, another friend who tries to project a classy image by boasting about his vegetarian diet hates local vegetables, preferring only western ones such as spinach, lettuce, baby carrots, sweet onions, etc., while despising local vegetables such as, “saluyot”, “kangkong”, “alogbate”, “upo”, etc. He brags about his preference for “salads” with plenty of strips of bologna, spam, German sausages, or chicken, and sprinkled with his favorite Italian dressing!...and, he is a vegetarian!

Many years ago, when a big religious sect which is a breakaway from the Catholic fold, still held their prayer rallies at Luneta park, I was brought by a friend to their venue, to introduce me to their kind of music which I really enjoyed. On the other hand, I hated much  the corny preaching of the supposedly charismatic leader who would enthuse his flock to open and invert their umbrella to catch the blessings and grace from “heaven”. My friend was a Bible-quoting guy, definitely, very religious in his own way. When we left the area to take a jeepney at T.M. Kalaw St., we were approached along the way by an obviously hungry street child with an open upward palm. Without much thought, he shooed the boy away, as if shooing a pestering fly!

Then, there’s the greatest inconsistency of all…the advertisement aired over a popular radio station about the “ashitaba” herbal medicine which the endorsing woman who supposedly got cured said in Visayan, “ako si….. duna koy ALMORANAS nga maura ug kamatis ka daku, pero nawala ang akong ALMORANAS sukad nag-inom ko ug ashitaba…kinanlan gyud mag-inom ta ug ashitaba aron mawala ang atong ALMORANAS”, or to that effect, which as translated in English is, “ I am…..I have been suffering from a HEMORRHOID as big as tomato, but it was gone when I took ashitaba…we should take ashitaba so that our HEMORRHOID will be gone..” After the statement, came the disclaimer which said, “the ashitaba is not a drug and should not be taken as a medicine as it cannot cure any ailment”….What happened to the endorsement and the testimony of the woman who got cured? Why must the government agency concern approve the ad for airing if there is such a bullshit disclaimer? I think something is wrong with the Philippine government agency that approves ads like the one mentioned….for letting such mindless inconsistency be heard all over the country as it makes a fool of the listeners!

Today, every time I am alone and those mentioned above and many others would creep into my mind, I would just let out a deep sigh to lighten up my heavy chest while holding on to my sanity, so as not to cuss. But my big question is: does our world really throbs with much senselessness?