Sunday, November 25, 2007

How Far We've Come

I was just reading Cecile’s post about the things 89-billion pesos (1 billion UK pounds) can buy, and for the first time in a very, very, very long time ever
.
.
.
I couldn’t think of anything to say. Or write for that matter.


The last time this ever happened to me was when my high school guidance counselor wanted to invite my parents for a conference. Because despite my A+ academic performance in school, stellar involvements in every extra-curricular activities known to man, and as the sole representative of my school in almost all inter-school quiz competitions for the past four years…


I happened to be gay (and I’m not even *out yet).


At work I was still thinking of that 89-Billion-Peso-Question ---
who will get eliminated, and who is still in the running towards becoming America's Next Top Model.

Just kidding.

I saw all 12 of the main-stayers in the Intensive Care Unit, and wished that I could buy health.

I witnessed a patient coded and prayed I could buy life.


I saw how lolo (granddad) reacted when he got diagnosed with a terminal pathology and wished I could buy time.


I took care of tita (auntie) who was deserted by her own family and wished I could buy some compassion.


I talked with lola (grandmom) telling me her *still unfulfilled wishes in life and prayed I could buy youth.

I saw how diko (old man) received the diagnosis of an inoperable brain aneurysm and wished I could buy hope.

I saw how all of their faces are shrouded with despair and grief and prayed I could buy happiness.


As I was heading home after that loooong shift, I finally got the answers to the question still brewing inside my head.



Back in high school, I told my prude guidance counselor that my sexual preference has nothing to do with her and she has no right to judge me based on the premise that I have relations with men.

Looking back, and looking forward, I now hope *that 89-billion pesos could buy…


ACCEPTANCE…

DIVERSITY...

COMPASSION


And of course…


WORLD PEACE.



And you, what would you buy?


Images from viewimages.com and flickr.

51 comments:

Anonymous said...

you did it again sir ruff!!

nice, very nice....

;)

wala akong masabi eh, kasi masyadong naapektuhan ang pagkatao ko..

wtf

watever!

;)

take care nursie nursie!

bob said...

wah! kainis ka ruff.

this sounds OA but, I don't know, I had goosebumps when I read your post esp the part about the patients. That is so compassionate of you, Ruff.

There are a lot of things in life that not even all the money in the world could buy.

I think I would buy
1. innocence (seriously)
2. something that I was longing for when I was a kid. :)
3. World peace din? hehe

Cordillera Blogger said...

89 Billion Pesos is a big amount alright....

hmmm...probably I would wish for
-my virginity back (choz)
-a lifetime handsome male partner(hahaha)
-eternal youth (puwede kaya yun?)
-sige na...agree ako k bob at sau d2...WORLD PEACE ULIT...

But seriously, hirap pag ang kinakausap mo ay may taning na ang buhay noh?

coach said...

panalo ang post mong ito. galing. tinamaan ako. ang lalim. World peace... parang miss U ah. ^^

justmike said...

yakkks ruff.

galeng galeng nitong post na to. hehe.dabest na nagawa mo po.

hmmmmm...anu kaya bibilhin ko gamit ang 89 billion pesosesoses na yun?

bibili ako ng:

-katahimikan para sa akin.
-katatagan para sau.

world peace na rin.hehe.para sa lahat.

*cheers.

bili na rin pala ako ng tulog.masarap yun eh, hehe.

ingats my friend.

kalansaycollector said...

nabili niyo na mga virtues..
nabili niyo na ang world peace so okey na...
so...

i will buy the whole earth.

to rule it? no. to save it. kung di ko siya bibilhin ngayon, kelan pa merong bibili sa kaniya para siya'y iligtas?

***

anyway in relation to your reply sa aking past post, kung mahirap ang under*** kawawa naman ako. nasa under poverty line na pala ako kasi never ko pang nagawa yun. hehe. ;p

enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Makathang makatha a. Hehe. I like the sexual preference thing.

crazed_heck said...

gusto kong bilhin ang equality...

na sanang wala ng discrimination...

of all types, in all forms and for all of time in all there is in the world...

tsaka world peace na din...

KRIS JASPER said...

I'll buy my past...

there were things I shouldn't have done.. shudnt have said..

with 2nd chance, I'll fix them.

thanks for a great post..

Alvin said...

Instead of buying i would rather give the money to others. Kasi baka mabaliw lang ako sa kakaisip kung anong ang bibilhin. Tanga kasi ako pagdating sa ganyang mga bagay. Haha

or siguro bibili muna ako ng favorite
kong Burger Champ sa jabee or isang truck ng nestea red rooibostea haha bago ko ipamigay yung remaining. bibili pala ako muna bahay sa tuktok ng bundok at bibilhin ang skye island for kat haha.

mikel said...

89 billion e?

mmm... hirap mag-isip...

bigay ko na lang din sa'yo para may 178 billion ka. :) mas madaming mabibiling

ACCEPTANCE…

DIVERSITY...

COMPASSION

And of course…

WORLD PEACE.


..yon.

pero, seriously, sana nga...

isa na namang magandang entry galing kay nurse ruff! thanks po. :)

Anonymous said...

I'll buy...

LOVE.

-Marvin

Anonymous said...

That's a tough one! But seriously ha, kung biglaan lang na dumating ang ganyan kalaking pera (which will never happen anyway), I would create millions of jobs para sa mga unemployed at naghahanap ng trabaho o di naman kaya, kung kasya, kakalabanin ko ang GMA at ABS-CBN para magkaroon naman ng magagandang palabas (at hindi cheap) sa local television. Ayos ba yun? HaHaHa. Kasi kung LOVE o HAPPINESS, parang walang nagtitinda ng ganun e. Walang katapat na pera 'yun.

Quentin X said...

A lifetime supply of sexual services. For everything else, there's mastercard.

Russ Ligtas said...

the world works in such a way that you could actually buy acceptance, diversity and compassion...even world peace.

Heck, if I had that money, I would buy them for you.

Anonymous said...

i happen to be sick now but i wouldn't buy health. id buy a hot nurse na lang. or doctor.

Kiks said...

this made me smile.

KC said...

I like the last things that you like to buy...with that, maybe you won't need to buy world peace.

And if you won't buy world peace anymore, donate the money you've allocated for that to charity patients...so that more lives can be saved.

I'd do the same because I have a soft spot for charity patients. =)

Good day, Ruff!

aries said...

i want to buy my past...mare tinawag kang "sir" oh nyahaha

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@KINGDADDYRICH: 'Wag kang mag-alala kingdaddy, ganyan din ang nararamdaman ko araw-araw sa trabaho. I deal with life and death as if it's a juggling matter. Death makes me more appreciative of the fact that I, actually, am alive. :-)
~And for that I am extremely thankful.

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@BOB: I learn so much from my patients din naman. And from what I learn from them, I try to imbibe them in my practice.
~Innocence? I thought you already have that! (Diba bob, with the pa-tweetums smile?) And your number two would specifically be???

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@MOJO POTATO: For your first 3 wishes, I'm granting you an unlimited pass to the Belo Medical Clinic. For the last one, go go go world peace.
~The amazing part about talking to dying patients? They seem to know when it'll be their time to go.
.
.
@COACH: Salamat coach! Malalim ba ang tama? :-) (no pun intended)
~Natutunan ko yang "World Peace" sa Miss Congeniality eh. Kahit anong tanong, basta sagutin mo lang ng world peace, sure win ka na agad!

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@JUSTMIKE: Salamat po ng marami just mike. Sana nga'y magkaroon ka ng katahimikan sa buhay (and by that I don't mean rest in peace) at katatagan naman para sa akin. Para sa ating lahat, world peace na lang ulit! :-)
.
.
@KALANSAY COLLECTOR: Napaka-maka-kalikasan mo naman kalansay! Dahil dyan sa iyo ko ibibigay ang Miss Earth trophy. *Clap *clap with standing ovation pa. :-)

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@BINO/GENO: The sexual preference thing? I like that too. Hahaha.
.
.
@CRAZED HECK: I wish for unconditional acceptance, not just tolerance, and equality, not just fairness. I believe that "If we all gave freely and sweetly of ourselves, we would all end up with more." :-)

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@KRIS JASPER: On the contrary, I'm a bit thankful of my past. For they have made me the near-perfect person that I think I actually am right now. (As if! Haha).
~But of course, there will always be those shoulda-coulda-woulda moments we will ever regret for the rest of our lives.

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@LAD: Ako naman I'll give everything to charity, 100% of the proceeds will go to Nurse Ruff's Extravaganza Foundation. A non-profit institution serving the (sexual and quasi-sexual needs of the) author of this site and his endless luxuries in life. Just kidding! Cyempre magbibigay ako sa charities.
~Sa Swiss Bank Charities. :-) Joke

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@AMICUS: Pag nagkaganon nga eh, yung 89 billion ay para sa acceptance, diversity, compassion at world peace, at ang isa pang 89 billion ay sa aking bulsa. Joke! Hahaha.
~Thanks for liking the post. Like ko din cya, in fairness. =)
.
.
@MARVIN: You don't have to buy love, marvin. It'll come you know. In the least unexpected moment. At the most perfect time.

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@REYVILLE OF SIMPLY MANILA: Actually I was speechless just imagining what to do with that huge sum of money. There actually came a point WHEN I got to the realization that I'm no longer interested in material things anymore. (And I mean it). Since I'm barely making some money na rin naman for my personal consumption, desiring for more has become one of my least imperatives.

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@QUENTIN X: I could actually indulge you with *that lifetime supply of sexual services even without paying. Either way, Visa, Mastercard, and all major credit cards would likewise be accepted.
.
.
@YAS LIGTAS: I agree russ. We have lived in a world where money could actually guarantee us with anything. As to whether they'll last forever, or they'll end up as ephemeral or fleeting, nobody knows.
~And thanks russ. I appreciate the gesture. :-)

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@PAT: I'm wishing for the same thing pat. It just so happened that *most of the residents/interns/fellows in my hospital are actually extremely aesthetically pleasing.
~In the future, I'd like to marry a hot doctor din nga pala. Or a hot nurse, whomever comes first.
.
.
@KIKS: Pleasing you (and making you happy)is everything I've ever dreamed of. :-)
~Sabi nga ni Britney, "I was born to make you happy." :-)

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@KC: I hate how hospitals have double standards when it comes to the practice of nursing and medicine. Imperative (and sometimes life-saving) treatments and procedures can only be made ONLY if you have the money or the resources, but I guess we all just have to deal with those inequalities and pray that quality care could likewise be given to the poor and the needy.
~I was wondering what working in a charity ward would do for a sappy ole emotional freak like me. Now, that is something that's truly worth pondering.

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@ARIES: Ano naman ang babaguhin mo sa past mo mare? :-)
~Sa work kaya "Sir" ang tawag nila sa akin. Aside from "Selya..." "Selya ang itawag nyo sa akin." Joke. :-)

bob said...

@ruff: can you buy a father? :)

ice said...

i would buy.. time.. =)

i've been gone for so long ruff.. wee..

chase / chubz said...

im in tears..

super bait talga

i would build a foundation dedicated in educating children. yun lng.

fruityoaty said...

Fixed my comments form now, so if tried to leave a message recently... sorry. (Saw your avatar on MyBlogLog widget.)

Ah, great answer. I'd use the money to help out a lot of people... but then again, I already do that... and I'm not rich.

savante said...

That's great... though cynically speaking, I doubt even that much pesos could buy all that. Sigh.

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@BOB: I'm afraid I can't. :-(

@ALLEICARG: I would like to buy some time, too. Glad to see you back allei.

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@CHASE: Ngek chase! Super bait?! Hahaha. Kaw kaya ang mabait chasey? :-)
~I missed you chase. Hope you won't go now... please stay my chaseychubs. :-)

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@FRUITYOATY: Thanks for the visit fruityoaty. It's my pleasure to be visited by the great fruityoaty.
~We are forced into the belief that money can empower us to do great things, but the least unappreciated fact in this world is that all of us can change the world by just being ourselves, and by making the most of the talents we are uniquely endowed.

Anonymous said...

Nurse ruff, i'm happy that Ust has one caring nurse like you. Your prayers won't certainly be put to waste.

Hope din matupad ang pangarap ni chase of a foundation.

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@SAVANTE: I agree doc paul. But as always, one could only dream (this is the optimistic side of me talking) :-)

~I'd like to believe that there is always a time for everything, even for the realization of this one. =)

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

@JOSH: Oh thank you dear josh! :-) I also pray (day in and day out) that I could be the best nurse, the perfect nurse actually, that my patients could actually got.
~(And oh, I could be chase's foundation's resident nurse.)

Dabo said...

i'll buy my first element-- water..

[chocoley] said...

Why is so dramatic here? hehe.

I hate the convertion huh! 89-billion = 1 billion.

Ang hirap mag-isip, I can't of one thign to do.. maybe splurge first then think of better idea to spent it.

Pero naglista na rin..

Perosnal:
30 million - franchise for Jollibee
10 million - residence house
15 million - rest house
40 million - house over seas
09 million - luxury cars
50 million - franchise of D&G
50 million - franchiose of LV
50 million - franchise of shoes
50 million - franchise of perfume
20 million - resort in palawan
100 million - camiguin islands
100 million - siquijor
2 billion - an island in europe
1 billion - land prop. in Saudi


Charity:
1 million - PCSO
1 million - Red Cross
1 million - Gawad kalinga
1 million - Bantay Bata
1 million - Tahanang Walang Hagdan
1 million - Green Peace
1 million - PETA
1 million - GMA Kapuso Found.
5 million - PGH
1 million - Heart Center
1 million - Assylum


Reserved:
50 billion - time deposit
10 billion - Education Project
15 billion - for own TV Network, competing ABS and GMA!!!


Extras:
3 billion - theme park, Disney Land, Manila.
4.2 million - Hotel accomodation at Pallazo, Versace, Aus.

11,433,800,000 - remaining balance.

So yung natira di na alam kugn san gagastusin, kayo naka may maisip pa? Sumakit na ulo namin :(

[chocoley] said...

Kaloka diba? Yes this really an headache...

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