Jerry

I want to kill someone so pathetic right now. Someone inconsiderate. But instead of lowering myself in this anguish state, I'll repost what Che featured on her Multiply blog.

It's about a guy named Jerry which, even with all the bullshits happening around him, never lets it affect him, and instead chooses to be "positive" about it.

Jerry is the kind of guy you love. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied,

"Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice.

You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood. The bottom line:

It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never Supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him.

Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.

The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door, " Jerry replied. " Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry "She asked if I was allergic to anything." 'Yes' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!'

Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his Amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

As you see, not everyone is capable of what Jerry can do (pero ako malapit na--for having all these bullshits ride on me all these time, and letting it pass). Jerry made everything simple: Something bad happens to you, then you have to make a choice--let it affect you and be in a "bad mood", or shrug it off and stay in "good mood".

Cge lang. Cge lang...

I'm practicing a bit of Hindu Mantras right now. No joke. I think I've briefly told my friends about it, but they just laughed it off... probably thinking it was some kind of joke! Haha. I'm on the state of cleansing. I need it after all.

But I'm still pretty much a Catholic though... an open-minded Catholic.

So back to this person that I hate. "Naku, kung bitawan ko yan, paano na future niyan? Kawawa naman...". Thoughts like that, I still take into consideration just for that person. After all the bullshits and inconsiderations... and everything. I tell you people, in my whole life, this is the only person that I really found indifferent.

And 'indifferent' is a kind word to use.

I don't know why that person is like that. Maybe its in that person's upbringing. Or maybe, God intentionally made some people like that--for whatever reasons I don't want to know.

Just want to say that I'll still look out for that person. But once this thing is over, kalimutan na. After this shit is over, I won't know that person's name, address, number... heck, I'll even forget that person's face! Haha!

But for now, I'll let it be. Ang bait ko noh? I should be canonized as a saint! Haha! My friends are even making fun of me kasi antagal kong tinitiis. I hate every minute of it, but at the same time, it motivates me. So I'm grateful to have my friends.

Even my mom!! She's a highly spiritual person, stern but very thoughtful of others, pero bwiset na rin sa taong ito. She knows kasi what's up. She can see through the bullshit. Every time another issue comes up (and we always expect it), we both have this expression on our faces which somewhat says: "I smell shiiiiiiit!!!" Hahahahaha!

Yeah.. I'll let it be 'til its over. I'll be civil. Until its over.

But! But... only until to the point that my incredible patience can permit. Kung mas grabe pa gawin niyan kesa pa sa ngayon... putangina, tao lang ako. Haha! Hindi ko na aantayin talaga. So make me snap. Bastusin mo PA ako! Sorry ka nalang kung snap na. Ok?

And I don't care if this person reads this post here (and I know that this person reads here, every once in a while...to check the water perhaps, when something happens?). You are incredibly stupid if you don't know that I'm talking about you, "mr. person". You don't even have to read between the lines to do so. You just have to breathe in, and read all this crap. Be thankful that I didn't even use specifics here. That would be the real dagger (you see? im still looking out for you 'til this very moment! haha). All these, just so you know what I'm harboring right now.

So next time you see me again, chummy and smiling, shit and all... you'll know that this is temporary. You'll know shit is up. Nag titiis lang ako. Once our shit is over, we're through. You've crossed the line far too many times. Marami ka nang atraso at kabastusang ginawa, and the most incredible thing is that you don't even seem to care! So don't expect me to be a friend. I won't even piss on you if you were on fire, if its to save your life. And don't expect any help from me (anything, even a scratch in the back) once this is over.

But for now, cge lang... cge lang... I'll play Jerry's part in the mean time.

Om Mani Padme Hum