Impatience Can Ruin Everything

I woke up this morning with a thought that had come from conversations in the previous days about passions of urgency and reminders of prudence. This came back to mind this mornning and slid quickly into a montage of two distinct metaphors…

The seed has been planted by history as a seed of hope.

Traditional nomination systems that precluded participation of the electorate have resulted in candidates that represented only the elite, as nominated only by members of "political parties" that are only friendship and pooled-resources clubs. Change has long become an imperative. The people have had to shift from being mere pollwatchers (in the broad sense) to being active participants in the entire process. We have been disempowered for so long.

The seed has now germinated across the archipelago.

Upon the sheer will power of the heroic initiators and initial facilitators, as aided by new information and communication technologies, the broadening of the nominations process has started to advance unmistakably. Momentum is building. There is cause for optimism.

The seed has now turned into a fine, handsome sapling which shall hopefully grow into a giant sturdy tree. I would say “certainly, it will,” if it keeps up the momentum.

It is apparently marching to destiny, much like that fine shepherd boy who was destined to be king.

But the sapling is not yet ready for the big killer storms that are coming so soon, it still lacks in sturdiness of trunk, and its roots still need to grow longer and deeper, broader, stronger.

The lad still had to grow into full manhood and had to start flexing his young muscles and allow them to grow. So, he had to have the prudence based on patience. And he was willing to work with the king first until he could grow strong enough to fight, defeat and replace him on the throne. He did not gamble. His earlier slingshot victory over the giant did not expand his head with the hubris of overconfidence and impatience.

He knew that time was on his side.

I was told that some leaders and participants in the PPs process are emphasizing the need to strenghten first at the roots. I think that is prudent. It needs to engage more vigorously in obviously more winnable contests that either have smaller constituencies or have more slots at stake. Successes are crucially important in the growth of the PP process. We did not go into all this effort just to prove for still another time that the elite politicians are manipulators of the public mind and of the public vote. That has long been, repeatedly, “Noted!” with no consequence.

The PP is a phenomenon that deviates from that pattern where the people’s candidates have to explain later on how come they lost. The people expect it all the time. What still needs to be proven is that the PP can win after choosing well its battles, and that later it can also win much bigger ones, all the way up to the big match producing only one winner for the topmost post. Later.

Passion for effecting basic changes in the elite-dominated grossly unfair electoral system is understandable and really laudable. But it has to be coupled with prudence. Otherwise, a daredevil David can turn into the late lamented Don Quixote buried six feet under the ground. ( No, worse, because windmills don’t crush defeated assaillants and the people’s level of confidence is immaterial in that world.)

Let’s plan for victory; choose well our battles and avoid making enemies premaruely or even unnecessarily. Take the long view, and work well every step of the way. The PP processes has started and is growing well. Let’s not nip it in the bud and hunt for who to blame. Nobody listens to losers. Not even the losers.

We are destined to win. Unless impatience wins.

ding reyes
of Subic, Zambales
09-15-09