A Year to Listen

If I had a year to burn, this is what I would do -- I would go to every province in the Philippines, find a social worker (or something akin), and talk to people.

Not to hear my own voice, but that I may listen to the responses.

Listen to the concerns, the dreams, the ambition.

Listen to what drives people to wake up in the mornings, to what keeps them sane.

Listen to stories of days long past, and ambitions for the days to come.

Listen to everyday conversations, the local news, the sadness, the grief, the frustration.

The celebrations, the arguments, the passions.

Family stories, anecdotes, poetry, music!


Oh, for a year to listen; to listen to a country that has seen lifetimes slip away in silence.


Help me pack my bag.