#silverwords

We are just damaged reflections of our innocence

Struggling to comprehend our lack of conscience

In a world that promotes sadistic tendencies

Burning as we bathe in poison, but we never leave.

We are exactly what we swore to never be

Blinded by arrogance, we are crushed by our own debris.

We are the black thumb of existence

Striving to live up to our own hypocritic definitions

Failing to see our immoral decisions

Haunted by the reverberation of our own derision,

We cling to all that’s left of our sanity and soul

Walking like zombies, unaware of our role

Hunting for mutual prey to artificially make us feel whole,

Bad things happen when kids grow old.

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~ Bay and Madeline.

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A beautiful collaboration with the insanely talented and awesome @baywrites !

GIF: mine

Nowadays, pop culture or trends tend to overpower us. Some people blindly follow what’s popular just to fit-in. This is where we question who we are, and this is where we obsess over the new in thing. This society we crave so much to be a part of carves out the only genuine thing about us—our identity.

If I connect this to anything politically related, my example would be ideologies and elections. I’ve done tons of research for some of my classes and one of the conclusions I always make is that people tend to go with the flow. To keep the long story short, we are basically politically ignorant animals. One huge example would be voting for celebrities or famous (as harsh as this may sound—it’s true) ignorant people.

See, we live in a world where following the latest trend means that you’re socially accepted. But here’s the naked truth that not everyone can see: You can’t please everyone, even if you follow the trend—even if you become the trend. Someone will always hate you or your guts. People will always have something to say. Just be yourself. Don’t let anyone; the media, an icon, a trend, tell you who you truly are. Tell them who you are. Be anyone you want to be, not because society tells you to be like this or that. Not everyone will like you. But who cares? The only person who should like you—IS YOU. Your life, your story. Don’t let anyone else write it for you.

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GIF: mine

What happened to those old sappy handwritten letters? Every stroke on the paper had effort. Every phone call was remembered, since calling abroad back then was really expensive. Every picture was developed for future memories to show your children and grandchildren. People exchanged laughter, not emojis. Kids got bruises but still manages to laugh it off because they love playing outside, not with their gadgets.

Don’t get me wrong, I love how our technology advanced. Growing up, my dad would rarely have time to talk to us since he was working in the U.S and we had different time zones. But we make it a point to talk to each other at least once a week. I would share stories and he would share his and that one day of talking with him meant the world to us. I don’t know if you get me but there’s something about that span of time where we don’t talk that gives me the urge to wait for the time that we will. It makes it more special.

Basically, technology has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, one of the advantages is that we use technology as an outlet, may it be of our feelings or our thoughts. We use it to instantly connect to people from different parts of the world. In just one click, a lot of our answers can be answered. But then again, it removes the specialty of working hard for something, of learning something not through a computer screen but through a hard bound book, and of meeting someone through talking not through typing.

Also, one of the disadvantages is that since we live in a very modernized world, it is so easy for someone to get to know everything about us. With just one click, you can know where someone lives. This is actually a national security matter. Cyberwarfare has been an issue since the 9-11 attack. This means that our country can easily be attacked from the inside.

In my opinion, we’re living in a fast-paced world and I hope that everything would just slow down. Technology becomes a negative thing when we use it in a bad way—or when we overuse it. Just a little reminder: technology is not our holy grail.

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1. As of today, are you conscious of your political ideology? If so, what is it? If not, why not?

Source: https://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/ideology.png

I actually have different views on different topics. Meaning, in some issues; I am either under the left-wing politics or the right-wing politics (liberalism/conservatism). My views would depend on three things (either one, two, or all): the issue, the research (about the issue), and the facts. If I see that the issue suppresses freedom and equality—I take a stand against it and I become a liberalist. With that being said, I am still aware of what my views are which means that I am conscious of my own political ideology.

2. Is there any politically marginalized group that elicits your sympathy? If so which is/ are this/ these?

Gays and lesbians (the ones who are still inside their “closet” because they are too afraid to come out), abused women and children, and the poor and homeless.

Photo: mine

The best way I can interpret my answer is through the pictures I took at the Pinto Art Museum in Antipolo. These pictures depict what they all have in common: they have so much inside of them yet they can’t let it out because they are too afraid. They keep screaming, asking our society for sympathy and help, but we can’t seem to hear them.

No one should ever be treated different just because they choose who they want to love and who they truly want to be. Gays and lesbians should still receive the respect that we give to each other. They should be able to express themselves however they please. Despite the progress of our society to accept the LGBT community, the “closet” gays and lesbians are still frightened that they are not going to be accepted—thus, this leads to them not accepting themselves as well.

Same goes for the poor and homeless, and the abused women and children. No one deserves to be abused or battered—especially by their own family. In general, your family should always be the one to support and protect you—not the other way around. As for the poor and homeless; what I see in our country is that there (and it seems that there will always be) a division of the poor and the rich. It seems that the poor becomes poorer and the rich becomes richer. This division, even though it is unlikely to happen, must be abolished. What we really need is for everyone to have a change of heart, and for the poor to do something about their status. It’s all about working together, not for the benefit of one, but for the benefit of all.

Source: http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/nelsonmonty/media/wereallinthistogether_zpsfe029b7a.gif.html

3. Are you conscious of other people exercising power over you? If so, who are these? Is this something you accept or resist?

4.  Are you conscious of other people whom you are exercising power over? If so, who are these? Is this something that you force on them without their consent? Do they resist?

Although there are a lot of people who exercise power over me and vice versa (like people older than me but not related to me, professors, government officials, etc.), I will have one main focus. For both questions 3 and 4, here’s a picture to summarize the people who exercise power over me and the people I exercise power over.

Photo: mine

I guess basically everything starts with your family. The moment you are born, your parents already exercise power over you. They influence how you think, they teach you how to do this and that, and since you’re still young and mainly ignorant—they tell you what to do. In addition, since I’m the youngest in our family, my siblings also exercise power over me. They influenced and taught me numerous things and they took care of me when my parents were gone. Additionally, I’m aware of how they exercise power over me and it is something I accept.

So in our family, we are very open to suggestions and discussions. I chose them to be the main people who exercise power over me and vice versa because I also influence their decisions and views on different things. My power over them is something that I don’t force on them without their consent because it just comes naturally. Since we are a family, we value the opinions of one another. They exercise power over me, and I can exercise power over them.

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I hate looking in the mirror in the morning to see

a vessel that doesn’t reflect the cargo within.

  I will walk down the street and they will only judge

the skin I’m in before I even matter to them.

  Who knows which of them could potentially save

my life or, one day, alter my future for the better?

  Appearances don’t matter, they will tell you, It’s

always what’s inside that counts in the end.

  But those with any handle on your future may

get frustrated trying to open the jar and they’ll stop trying.

  They will look at the residue of crow’s feet from your 

smiles and the brackets from your frowns and make the call.

  Maybe that’s why I am so obsessed with making the bottle

match the wine. Make the wrapping match the gift.

  One day, a shallow bastard might be holding the torch.

He might take one look at me and burn my bridges.

  In a world where depth and virtue don’t hold all the power,

I can only hope to appeal to the superficial that does.