Right - wrong or vice versa

The only way to deal with a mistake or a grievous error for that matter is to admit it or confess it. So here I am confessing a serious error I committed in my column last Monday.

Thanks to the call out of veteran public affairs and media practitioner, Jess Paredes, I came to realize that I used the right name — (Ex) Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez — but associated him with the wrong administration (PGMA). Lito Alvarez was appointed in the beginning of the P-Noy administration. The mix up was pointed out to me by Manong Jess and it was a correction I sincerely appreciate.

I will make no excuses or justification for the mix-up because in spite of all efforts and intentions, the fact remains that I authored the blunder and therefore the fault is mine.

If anything, I have certainly come to appreciate the fact that even blunders have their place and purpose in life. After last Monday’s mistake, I certainly appreciate people like Manong Jess who go out of their way to give others a heads up. I am blessed to have many “unregistered” or “unsolicited” advisers. Not too long ago, my Mom Marita dropped by the house and on her way out let loose a one liner: “You’re getting to verbose in your writing.” Yes I do tend to beat a dead horse at times.

While we all want to avoid blunders and try our best to guard against them, because we are human, we will commit mistakes. I think that it is God or nature’s way of telling us to take a break or step back and take an inventory of things.

Before last Monday’s booboo, I had been thinking about changing my “writing style” or focusing only on certain topics that I’m really qualified to talk about, and the stuff I passionately believe in regardless of what the “critics” had to say. In today’s market-driven economy, it’s so easy to get caught up with “being relevant,” “in tune” or commercially viable, that we quickly forget competence or passion.

Yesterday, I spent the whole morning planting seedlings while listening to the podcasts of Brian Houston, Senior Pastor of the world renowned Hillsong Church of Australia. As he spoke about “Grace part 2: Who you are and who you are not,” he said:

“Do not be wise in your own opinion. Do you know something, you have a right to your own opinion, no doubt. A lot of people, they love to fill the blogs with opinion. There’s a lot of people out there, faceless men usually, who get there behind a keyboard and it is filled with opinion. But it’s usually little men trying to hide behind big opinions who are living outside of their (God given) grace and so, all they can do is sit on the sidelines and point the finger at somebody else.

“And I’ve got to tell you, when you live your life in grace, you live with godly wisdom and wisdom will build your house, wisdom will build the promise of God, but you get outside of that and it’s ‘your’ opinion, other people’s opinion, and that’s what they’re doing. It was all this opinion over who was the best and comparing and measuring.

“Men, don’t live your life by opinion, yes you have your right to opinion but it’s not always right to give it. Sometimes it takes a much bigger person to hold back on your opinion, than it does, to just be the kind of person who is free to constantly share your opinion.

“Some people are so opinionated, it’s like being ‘marinated.’ It’s like you know, you have been marinated in opinion and it affects the taste of your life and unfortunately it’s not a good taste. So don’t let your life get outside of the grace zone, where you’re trying to live by opinion and small person’s mentality. But live your life in the wisdom.”

I certainly was not expecting to hear such a “timely” word while planting seedlings, but it becomes crystal clear to me that I really need to draw from the “wisdom store” more than from current affairs. I also realized from that short piece, that although it is my job to write an “Opinion Column,” it can be drawn from lessons and wisdom rather than personal opinion.

Going back to the issue of blunders, they are also indicators that we are either doing too much at a time, or are distracted by something more interesting or pressing. Oftentimes, it becomes all about the finished work, the finish line or the deadline. In our rush to get to the end, we end up unable to look behind or see the obvious mistakes.  

That point is when things become “work” and “deadlines.”

To be honest, it has been all of the above for me. So last Monday I begged off from doing my Tuesday column for The Freeman in Cebu. I called my editor and told her I simply needed to take a break and do an inventory. That is what the last two days have been about.

So when blunders start popping up on your screen or your lifestyle, don’t go blaming others for it. Deal with it. Take a break. Get some space or time off. Figure out what’s really causing the blunders and figure out what’s important and what’s not. And as Brian Houston suggested, go to the Wisdom store of God for the best answers.

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