shattered dreams

(this is written as i finish a press release here at the office while listening to reports of the blasts that rocked glorietta this afternoon)

(image at left from the Philippine Daily Inquirer website. for more on their coverage of the Glorietta blasts, click here)

i was supposed to have dinner with a friend tonight. but then, the blasts that blown away part of the mall i usually frequent also shattered my plans, after calls from home begging me to cancel.

fast forward to a few hours later: i'm (still) here at the office.

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while viewing the extent of the damage on TV, i bemoan what those responsible did to one of my frequently-visited places

they bombed the part of the mall where children's stores are located. i shudder at the thought that there may possibly be kids spending time with their parents or guardians, buying toys or clothes or food, having a haircut (yep, they have this cute salon for kids), or just horsing around in the play area, oblivious to the evil plans of that someone/s who planted that bomb.

i feel bad for the sales clerks and personnel of the stores damaged by the blasts, who were just there earning a honest living.

they bombed the mall during lunch hour. i also commiserate those who were there to have lunch, relax and get away from the stresses of work even for just an hour.

i empathize to those who lost their lives and were injured (and their families), who were there at the wrong place at the wrong time. i pray for the eternal repose of the souls of those who perished and for the safety and eventual recovery of those injured.

i rage at those who do this, whatever reasons they have. there is no excuse doing something that would harm innocent people.

i am at a loss, even as someone who study politics and international society, on why these things happen. i cry on what the world has come to, a world where violence, poverty and injustice reign. where kids beg on the streets instead of enjoying their childhood. where people lie, cheat and steal to keep body and soul together. where those in power and money abuse what they have. where people like me wonder why these things happen.

suddenly, my anger at those who shattered my plans of enjoying a night out after the stresses of work and graduate school becomes insignificant compared to the shattered dreams in each of us.