Between fences....

Its been a year since I did my last post here...and now its 2007!hehe!hope my readers get my humor...(wink!) Anyway, since it's "year of the pig", i would like to share this pig story that my family encountered back then.

One time, my father was tending pig in our backyard. It was a short-lived encounter though for after awhile,the pig was slaughtered as an offering for the feast of our patron Saint in our town, however, that instance still left a greater realization inside of me. One day, our neighbor in her mid 40's came knocking our door, seemingly agitated. She was complaining over the stink that she could smell coming from our yard. We were polite and open to feedbacks and so the next day, father made sure that the pigpen wouldn't stink and managed to keep the pig area clean. Mother said we were not suppose to raise animals like this because no matter what, it would still be blowing unpleasant odor anyhow.

The following days, the same woman came to our house but not for the same reason. She wanted her uniform for work be sewn by mother (my mom is a dressmaker), but wanted to bargain the price of her uniform at a cheaper cost. She was often blunt,a talker and tactless to my family. But what kept me wonder was that each time we come across the street, her face is often blank...sometimes even indifferent, its as if she doesn't know us...hardly even care throwing a "civil" smile...one would probably think that we're never neighbors. We can never be judgmental to people but people in the her neighborhood can tell how arrogant she often appeared to be. Later then, i heard my sister,able to trace her background, that she actually came from a very poor family. There is nothing wrong with being poor, but there is a big wrong with forgetting where you actually came from once you've raised your status in life just a little higher.

About a year after, while doing the household chores, I heard loud cries of pigs from outside our fence. I peeped from my room's window, trying to figure out myself if I heard it right or was I just hallucinating. And alas! the cacophonies were as clear as thunder from the woman's backyard who once came to us complaining about the stink. And oh!i smelled stinks!and i said to myself...tsk,tsk,tsk...life is really a cycle.


Morrie Scwhartz is right in Mitch Albom's "Tuesdays with Morrie"...."if you're trying to show off for people at the top,forget it. They will look down at you anyhow. And if you're trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone."