Of final destinations

The recent hostage drama that happened in Manila was really a shock to everyone. I will not blog about it, I will leave the opinions to those of you on what you can say on the skills of our local policemen and the reasons behind the drama. Why it occurred in the first place, why those tourists, why such deaths? I am not really into anything that doesn't directly concerns me. Issues that will affect people I love will of course directly concern me. Issues like what happened, is really just something that can happen anywhere else and to anyone. I am thankful, that nobody I care for and love are in that bus or in any mishaps that happened in the past or perhaps present.

That crime is not really that devastating of a news. There are more brutal crimes in rural neighborhoods, as well as where the masses live, where staying alive is a mater of life and death for some. Even in heavily populated "civilized" places, crimes are apparent, like in the famous places such as Cubao, Tondo, Quiapo, Litex, Batasan, and other parts of Metro Manila.

I remember one time when I was going home from work at 3 AM. I passed by on one of the longest pedestrian overpasses in the country along the widest highway in Luzon. There was fresh blood on one spot from the railings down to the cement floor, it was like someone poured blood on what seems to be a crime scene in some Hollywood crime series. There were spatters of blood in a direction leading to the stairs. On the stairway, it was evident that the victim dragged himself down, because of the way the blood was "wiped and spread" on the steps. It seems like the victim either was dragged down or he dragged himself down the stairs to hail a cab or for safety.

The next shift, I just heard the entire news from of my officemates who somehow knew who the guy was because they are from the same college. The guy was a student in one of the prestigious schools in the country, he was stabbed by some stranger on his way home. Intentions were unclear and he was alive and struggling all alone when he crawled down the dark overpass to get help, he died on his way to the hospital. The next day there were candles and his photograph at the scene of the crime. What a waste of life I thought. He seems a pretty cool and smart guy. Too bad he had to suffer and die that way. Such a gruesome death to a boy with such a future. This death and crime was unreported in the news and this happened in the middle of a very busy commercial district.

While I am writing this... I imagine what the guy could have been thinking as he crawls with his few last breaths. What were his last words, who were the last people in his mind before he close his eyes?

Crimes can happen anywhere and anytime, even accidents. There is no safe place on earth. Nowhere.

I remember this article I read of a massacre in Japan. A man just walked in a school and stabbed everyone he can. He killed eight children out of nothing and no reason at all. According to another article I found, he has a mental condition and was an outpatient in a mental hospital. He was sick and tired of life, and he wanted to die but he cannot kill himself, so he wanted to be hanged. One girl who was killed was Rena Yamashita. The girl was an essay contest winner and talked on how she liked Utada Hikaru and wanted to be like her. Utada Hikaru then re-arranged her song Final Distance from her album Distance and made it a ballad, it was then dedicated to young girl who died.

Are we to believe that in the vast web of the universe, our future is already written? If that is so, what is the reason of us living our lives as we are now, trying to do better at things and trying to be better individuals and lead better lives if we are going to a certain destination that has already been written? Why are there predictions? Why are there soothsayers? Why are there omens? Why do some things that have been seen or predicted, happen? Is it because someone with capabilities of seeing the woven thread of destiny saw something? Are we really in charge of our own destiny? Maybe we do have a destiny, perhaps it is the purpose of such that matters.

"“Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.” - Deepak Chopra

We don't know what is written for us the thread of destiny. What we should know is why we are here? What is our purpose? What is our role in the web of life? What makes our existence so significant that our mere words and thoughts, actions and reactions; will echo along that string and touch someone else's life and that person's reaction will echo again, touching someone else's life too, and echoing again, until it reaches the far ends of the web and echo itself into eternity, or perhaps back to us... The universal justice, karma.

I believe that all of us and everything else are connected in this universe. We are all lost souls and great soldiers looking for that meaning in life.

Everyone has a final distance, it is up to us to find what it is or how to get to that certain place. It is how we leave our footprints in this life that make our journey worth while, so once we reach our final destination... We can say, that we did live a good and fulfilling life, no matter what way we will leave this world.

So how are we going to get there?

"There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle." - Deepak Chopra