Old Pictures; Beyond Forgetting

        By Vic Odarve

Old photographs capture priceless moments, recall details, and remind us of the footprints of our forefathers. Old photos are a living witness to the happiest or saddest moments in our lives; they allow us to recall all the details later in life and rewind how life was spent during those times.

Ancestral house -Mayana

Yes, in my ancestral home, old, framed pictures hanging on the wall remind me of where I spent my childhood days, my great-grandparents’ heydays, and some of the most memorable parts of my life. In one of the photos, I was once a platoon leader of a boys’ scout group getting ready for a jamboree competition in a nearby village. In a scout drill formation, we were dressed completely in uniform and wore caps on our heads. Even in black-and-white, it was clear that we were students at Mayana Primary School. Scouting has been a part of my life for longer than I can remember. My parents told me that I always loved scouting during my primary education. And this old picture confirms it!

As I continued to scan the photos, old memories from the distant past began to flash back and forth in my mind. The traces of memories that appear to disintegrate over time seem real and fresh. Looking back to my childhood days, with the days spent together with our great grandparents and country people, these memories are beyond forgetting!

Boys Scout 1967

It is indeed enjoyable to see these old pictures. It stirs our memories and recalls the days of our youth. I would like to rewind to the good old days when we played basketball games during fiesta celebrations. Now, the village of Mayana is one of my favorite getaway destinations. Going back to the old trail of the San Miguel Academy, I can feel like walking through mist and clouds along the mountain ranges, meeting all the fairies and magical creatures, and watching the birds doing orchestra along with the canopies. Whenever I remember my good old childhood days, it is sort of a feeling that cannot be captured on camera and is more than the old pictures hanging on the wall.

There really is no place like home. Old pictures remind me of the places and events where I come from; the land of my birth; and with all its diversity, the good and the bad, I would like to go there first over anywhere else in the world. It is just proper to share our good old days and momentous moments with our sons and grandsons to show how we lived our lives before.

College Days- U of Bohol

The Bible puts it this way:

"Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen, and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons." Deuteronomy 4:9

For those of us who are still alive, old photographs serve as a reminder and a trigger for our memories. It is beyond forgetting!

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China and Russia; Equated to Hitler's Germany

                 by Vic Odarve.

Authoritarian rule, expansionist policy, and bullying small and powerless neighbors are all common denominators in countries that started a massive, bloody conflict and saw it spiral out of control. Authoritarian rule is like martial law, in which a few elite people make decisions and control the economy. They must extend areas under the pretense of releasing their enslaved people to strengthen their authority and for economic reasons. They intimidate and bully small and powerless neighbors with their advanced and superior military hardware. It was done earlier by Nazi Germany. China and Russia are now equated with the Nazis.

Russia's President Putin

Both China and Russia are authoritarian countries; that is, only a few manage and control the government and repress their citizens. Russia, a corrupt country, fights for its survival to make its place safe from corruption. Since authoritarian rule represses its citizens, many journalists who try to investigate the government’s shadowy activities and transactions die a horrible and excruciating death, leaving no traces nor investigation. Both countries have a tightly controlled political system that leaves little room for dissent. Confrontation seems futile; people are too scared to form a united opposition. Some European countries, including the United States, accuse Russia of "selective prosecution" and abuse of the legal system. One common ambition of these two countries is to expand their present territories, whether by force or by other stealthy means.

Putin wants to restore the old USSR with Russia as the center of its power and a powerful army in the heart of its satellites, including Ukraine. Russia has warned the United States, NATO, and the European Union to stay out of his invasion of Ukraine because it possesses nuclear weapons and could lead to nuclear Armageddon. Putin is far more dangerous than politicians.  In his 20-plus years of rule, President Putin has conquered Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, sliced part of Georgia, and helped Syria's civil war. He is now invading Ukraine and warned NATO to keep their hands off from the war or else he will pull the trigger on his nuclear arsenal.

President Xi Jinping

China, in addition to planning to annex Taiwan, claimed almost the entire South China Sea (an area defined by the "nine-dash line," which Beijing claims stems from 2,000 years of history in which the Paracel and Spratly island chains were considered integral parts of the Chinese nation). Both the Philippines and China lay claim to the Scarborough Shoal, which is located 100 miles (160 km) from the Philippines and 500 miles from China. China, on the other hand, turned deaf ears to their neighbors’ complaints, built an airstrip, and conducted oil exploration in the contested South China Sea.

With a powerful military at their disposal, both countries tend to intimidate and bully their neighbors through military posturing, invading sovereignty, and annexing territory. Economic sanctions have been imposed on Russia, but this has had no effect on Putin; Asian countries have filed cases against China, but China has ignored them.

As always shown in history, appeasement or concession to an aggressor does not work, as in the case of Hitler; economic sanctions may bite, but do not always sway these leaders to back down; military solutions accelerate the fuel burning. The only diplomatic effort may save us from these conflicts and a nuclear explosion. These leaders, when cornered, choose instead to escalate the crisis and risk an all-out confrontation. But China and Russia offer their own new world order calculus, which, most people say, can be equated with Nazi Germany.

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