Mistah

So what am I still doing in Manila? Good question. But you know what they say about the best laid plans; and, after all, the best plans carried out may not always be our own. It's all good though. Very good in fact - I wish I could say with aplomb, "It is futile to resist!" but I'm very willingly just allowing things to unfold so I can't really say I'm putting up much resistance. Even if it's keeping me away - for the moment - from my beloved BC. Wish I could say more in detail, but...nah. Would rather keep my readers (conceitedly assuming I have more than one) in delightful suspense, he he. Or, should I say, e e e e...

Anyway. Because the last few days have been such a whirlwind of activity, I haven't had a chance to write much - but I did want to relate a particularly enlightening conversation I had the other night/morning. A friend was talking about the fraternal bonds of those who share common experiences in the military, particularly going through years of training at the academy, and how these "mistahs" were closer than brothers (also a title of a book on the Philippine Military Academy by Alfred McCoy) willing to take - literally - a bullet for each other. The lengths that these men will go through to save a "brother's" life or reputation are a little difficult to comprehend, especially in this world where it's generally every man for himself. It would take someone like a frat man, like another friend we were speaking with, to understand this kind of self-abnegation: brod is thicker than water. As a sorority member myself, I am well-familiar with this kind of sentiment, albeit to a less bloodthirsty extent.

But as a Christian, I can totally relate to this idea of sacrifice for others that most of the world may find absurd, for I am a recipient of the most selfless love ever demonstrated on this earth. Indeed, "greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Might seem like a strange way to show love, but good golly, it's a surefire reason to make one want to repay the "favor," even if it takes one's whole life to do so. Even if it takes one's own life. And by His grace I'm gladly - praise God - still paying Him the favor back, and forward, and, by His grace! will continue to do so for the rest of my life here and at Home. No greater mistah than Him :-)