The NEW YEAR post

firecrackersMy father is known as the village firecracker daddy. Every new year's eve people would round up near our street and watch the lengthy 'sawa' being rolled out into a 150 meter explosive. My father's staple firecracker would serve as the night's celebration finale.

As we were walking from church a while ago, a neighbor jested "Oy, iniintay na namin yung paputok mo." My father, proud as he was with his legacy in the subdivision happily replied, "Oo mamaya". He was so psyched that he asked my brother and I three times if people were indeed waiting for his ultimate performance for the night (yeah, as if people have nothing better to do).

Anyway, I thought it would be more amusing if instead of letting the sawa vibrate our eardrums to its enduring limit, we line up wads of cash in the street and burn it. I'm imagining our neighbors to be both bewildered and surprised by the stunt. I'm sure tongues would go waddling after about how we could even think of pulling something like that.

Well isn't that the element of surprise? After all, it's pretty much the same thing we do year after year. Burn money for the fleeting moment of euphoria--create a make believe period of excitement for the approaching year, as if anything would change if we reduce bad spirits to deaf entities.

I am not totally against the use of firecrackers. I understand the symbolic importance of such things, but everything should run in moderation. Seeing my father's arsenal of fireworks is like literally imagining money go up in smoke. I would rather welcome the year seeing the money put food in the mouths of street dwellers than see colorful explosions of feigned happiness.



I would hate to close this year in an irritated tone. After all, this has been a good blogging year. =) Well, WELCOME 2009! And may we all have a good year ahead.

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