Open yun (Opinion)

Acolleague asked why I write stories from time to time, instead of the usual Opinion and FYI articles. Bill Bullard, a respected technical writer, “opined” that; “Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, and no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.” I guess I must respect his opinion about ‘opinion’.

I do write short fiction (especially fast fiction) and non-fiction, for the same reason that visual artists sketch people in parks and train stations. I want to tell stories (or make stories) about a moment, a memory, a scene even – “What is this guy thinking? Why is he tearful after the call? Is he related to the OFW I met during my last tour? Does he have a family?”…etcetera. For the humanities advocates, said habit is as essential as breathing. I guess, those things make their lives more meaningful (even if some often label them as crazy crack heads).

After a year and a half of writing a column for Sunstar.Baguio, I am starting to run out of juice, or that so called “inspiration”; I’ve already written much about tourism, travel, society, politics, culture, arts…of life and death, and anything under the sun. I am tempted to start writing about my guitar, my paintbrush, my old laptop, my sleeping habit. (Writing the article an hour before the deadline does not help). Still, just when I’m about to yield, there is always that nudging feeling that my opinion should at least matter and should contribute to community development, or the progress of our society. After all, not everyone is blessed with this most respected platform (and the real columnists had