Someone said, I forgot who, that one should not wish for happiness when it’s New Year. Happiness, according to that someone, may or may not come when wished for. And when happiness comes, it is fleeting. What one should wish for, continues that someone, is peace instead. Peace may dwell in one’s heart permanently as long as the person nurtures it properly. When one has peace in his heart, he remains generally happy. Fine thought, I must say.

But let me stretch that thought a little further. I believe internal peace has to do, to a great extent, with one’s ability to make the right decisions, the right choices every time they present themselves in our daily lives. Some choices are easy to make when the right choices are quite obvious. “I will keep on drinking non-fat milk, even if its taste sucks, because it will not make me fat.” Obvious choice and easy to make. “I will stop seeing the other woman who makes me feel like a stud because I have a wife.” Obvious choice but very hard to make. Now, consider this: “I decided to marry my husband because I had thought him to be a loving, caring man. A year after marriage, he turned out to be a wife-beating maniac!” Apparently an obvious choice and definitely an honest one. And it is a choice that will necessitate making another one if only to rectify a previous serious error.

The year 2010 is a year of quite a significant choice for every Filipino, as well as for every Paniquenyo. On May 10 of this year, we will cast our votes for our national leaders and for our very own mayor. On this day we will be confronted with very important choices, perhaps just two choices. To be able to recognize the obvious choice and to make it an easy one, it is important to keep a few but clear guidelines in mind. First, know who has the track record of genuine, effective public service. Secondly, do not be misled by empty promises and deceitful campaigning of a candidate who may have the edge of a political party backing and machinery.

Knowing the real issues around you, meaning knowing what Mayor Rivilla has done for you these past almost three years, will certainly make your choice obvious and easy to make. As money and other favors become available for the taking every election time, our choice may still remain obvious but very hard to make. Do not try to wrestle with your conscience. You will hardly win. Grab the money and make the obviously right choice. For those who will make an honest mistake of choice and for those who will insist on making the wrong choice, despite the right choice remaining glaringly obvious, may God have mercy on your souls! You are about to make a big error with extensive serious consequences that will lie heavily on your shoulders and which may be alleviated only after three more long years.

The choice, as I said in my recent column, is yours. For comments / reactions please email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it