The Journey I Have Been (8)

20 Apr 2009. A full month after I arrived here in the Phils. from Kuala Lumpur. I look back, and I feel still uneasy about it all. But I have to accept the fact that my assignment has ended and now I have no choice but to move on.

It has taken me quite a while to get the courage to write down my thoughts as part of a cleansing process. During the past month, I distracted myself going to remote villages and renewing ties with project partners. It was also a blessing that there was the Holy Week. As part of centuries-old tradition, our family joined hundred others to visit at least 7 churches during Maundy
Thursday. Before this, there were church masses or services to attend. In-between these activities, I had time to reflect and put myself a little more at ease with how things were turning out which were not according to plan.

Some time during the period I had also to organize get-togethers for friends and colleagues to celebrate my birthday. I had to put up a happy front to hide the turmoil within me: what do I do at 67 when you are too old to be part of a strategic staff development plan? Or so I thought as I talked as though I was the happiest guy during the occasion. I had to fight self-pity and all that stuff, but this was all in the discipline. I tip my hat to this inner self which absorbs all the excuses and self-deceptions I fabricate to make the business of living a little more bearable.

I have recovered from this temporary setback. Now I am determined to try my hand in something innovative and new. I have decided that I will raise pigs the organic way for the remainder of my days on the planet. It will be a good idea for a book, this epic journey from being a development worker to an organic swine farmer.

This morning, I met with our three workers on the place we are developing here in Bohol and they were not surprised at all to listen to me expound on the merits of going into organic pig raising. We viewed a video together given by a recent guest, a colleague and friend, Raul Salceda. I have invited the brother-in-law of a friend to spend the first week of May with us to give us pointers on how to raise pigs the organic way.

Unless something turns up that will be more exciting than this prospect, I will embark on this journey soon. But I have to keep on reading more on the subject and listening to other people who have tried their hand in this business for quite some time.

For all we know, this can be a more effective way to save the planet and reduce poverty than all those fancy things I have done during the past 32 years of development work.

Let's see - and wish me luck!