"I would be nothing without you...Did you ever know that you're my hero? You're everything I wish I could be. I could fly higher than an eagle, for you are the wind beneath my wings."
"As we go on, we remember, all the times we've had together. And as our lives change, come whatever, we would still be friends forever."
"I'll be at your side, there's no need to worry. Together we'll survive through the haste and hurry...If you feel like you're alone, and you've nowhere to turn I'll be at your side."
Unfortunately though, the misconception that being dark-skinned is inferior still persists this day. The fair-skinned are the beautiful, the elite in this society. They are the ones who can afford all the nutritious and delicious fruits and vegetables they want, which always go along with a complete multivitamin supplement. They are the ones who live on huge air-conditioned houses. They are the ones whose children are forbidden to play in the sun and dirt, lest they may get germs and bacteria and viruses. They are the ones who go around town in cool, streamlined cars.
At times when half the Western part of the world is crazy about getting a golden tan, we Filipinos are propagating a multi-billion peso industry of skin-whitening. And these huge business companies are in turn exploiting our vulnerabilities to make huge profits. But it�s not as if they don�t do us any good. On the contrary; the whitening industry is a multi-billion dollar business. In fact, they help sustain the economy by generating a million jobs (retail distributors included). Increasing sales of sunscreen, moisturizers, and Vitamin Cs are additional income to our local companies. The taxes and tariffs from the big bulk of foreign products coming in of great help to the government.
The dangers of a fair color-obsessed mentality come in when a distorted conception of one�s worth is based on her physical attributes, not talents and virtue. If you want your love interest to finally notice you, in a positive light, of course, then you better start striving for a fairer, rosier skin complexion. If you wish to impress the HR staff of your target company, and eventually charm your way to your dream job, you better work for a glowing, whiter skin. And if you yearn to feel good about yourself and lead a happy, contented and hassle- and stress-free life, you better consider investing on a reliable skin whitener. To be fair and white is to be beautiful; and beauty is the common denominator shared by confidence, success and happiness.
This is the notorious notion we see in the eyes of our friends who save every penny of their baon to buy the whole licorice product line, in the faces of the mestiza members of the showbiz industry and news and current affairs who are the most sough-after and highest-paid in their career lines, and in ads, both printed and visual.
The media, as a very powerful ideological tool, must then start reforming this misconception. More �morena� artists, journalists, and anchors (of course, the qualified ones) must appear on our television sets. More brown models must grace our magazine pages. Sure enough, there are lots of men and women there who are talented and attractive in spite of their �oriental� colors, right?
And if this is an illness too late to be cured, let�s start with the innocent minds � the children. They need affirmation that they are beautiful the way they are, white skin or not. In fact, a mindset that physical appearance is not everything, but just a bonus, must be established in their young minds and hearts.
It may be a long and arduous process, especially now that the white-as-the-perfect-complexion myth is becoming a concrete mindset; but a little action and a firm and positive mindset of each one of us could make a big difference. (End of Article)
"In a universe of ambiguity, this kind of certainty comes only once,and never agin,no matter how many lifetimes youlive."
(Robert Kinkaid on Francesca Johnson; The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller)
"It hurts me more than it hurts you."
(Ma'am San Joaquin; CommRes120 class)
"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way than this: where I does not exist, nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep."
(Pablo Neruda)
"I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough."
(from The Notebook by Nicolas Sparks)
"When a person really wants something,all the Universe in the world conspires to help that person realize his dream."
(from The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho)