A Gen X song and verses

I am writing this piece on the very morning of the Trillion Peso Protest, and I must confess that choosing what to write feels like trying to pick the winning number for the lotto jackpot while telling yourself that you won't win anyway.

- CITO BELTRAN

After weeks of wondering or ambivalence, many Filipinos now have to figure out if they will need a paracetamol or the “morning after pill,” since there is no telling if the Trillion Peso Protest March will go kaboom or go bust.

So, I prayed about it, and the inspiration was “divine” or a combination of a popular Gen X song and reinforced by Bible verses and reminders we are all familiar with.

The song by Jefferson Starship titled “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” came up on Spotify along with the lyrics, part of which I now share:

“Let them say we're crazy, I don’t care about that/ Put your hand in my hand, baby, don’t ever look back/ Let the world around us just fall apart/ Baby, we can make it if we're heart to heart/ And we can build this dream together/ Standing strong forever, nothing’s gonna stop us now.”

The song is certainly upbeat and positive and in the context of our “failed state,” it reminded me to stay positive, that we can get better results and outcomes by solving one problem at a time, doing it hand in hand.

“Don’t ever look back” are wise words because Filipinos are currently stuck in or dwelling on past failures, ways of thinking and comparing ourselves with others. We are still stuck on Noche Buena prices but never worked on financial literacy and budgeting.