Little Notes

Are you angry about the rising prices of oil and food and government’s unsuccessful efforts to curb it?

Do you agree that it’s government’s turn to tighten the belt and give back to people’s wallets the 12% VAT it collects on oil and oil products?

Do you believe that we, the people, have the right to what we earn and where to spend it on rather than leave it to this administration to collect VAT on oil and dole it out without clear parameters for transparency and accountability?

Express yourselves!

Join the growing group of disgruntled consumers via –

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=20790577822

Yes, there is a dearth of local jobs for new nurses. Most of them take on volunteer jobs at clinics and hospitals to stay on track and keep their focus on their nursing career.

I just hope the government will intercede in behalf of VOLUNTEER FILIPINO NURSES. May the time they spend as volunteers be counted as WORK EXPERIENCE by other countries. In the Philippines, a volunteer nurse performs the tasks of a regular staff nurse. The only difference is that the former does not receive any remuneration for his/her services. May the Philippine government make this clear to other countries, so that the surplus of nurses we have locally could find employment abroad. Recently, more and more countries are requiring at least 1 year work experience, which is almost impossible to get, except as a volunteer.

Here, nurse volunteers work just as hard as any regular (employed) nurse, and perform the same duties, without any pay. It seems being a ‘volunteer’ abroad has a different definition (e.g. a volunteer only does certain tasks, does not report regularly; or is just “on call” when short-staffed, etc.).

Hope you can help clear up the matter.

I’ve read your article in panorama last Sunday about our jobless nurses.

I’m a nursing graduate also, but unluckily did not pass the board exam.

It was so hard for us to look for a job here and abroad.I hope that PRC can give us a certificate even as a health care allied, like as caregiver, because we finished a 4-year course than that of a caregiver. Hoping that in your ” Our Times”, they will give us a chance to work abroad like in home care. Life in the Philippines, so grabe, everything rises and no job for us. I hope you can help us or i mean ,us, jobless nurses , with board or no board exam find a job abroad as caregiver to help our parents/family.

Jose Ledesma Santos
San Mateo, Rizal

Here’s a special window to openly discuss the present state of our nursing profession. This was prompted by a letter from one of my readers who was kind enough to outline the challenges that a nursing graduate faces before he or she can land a job. I am printing the reactions below so that hopefully it can draw enough attention for our policy-makers to sit up and take notice.

From Ted:

I am glad that your topic for today is about nurses. I am also a nurse and took my licensure exam last Dec. 2006 (Thank God) hehhehhee. Anyway, I am one of the non-practicing Registered Nurses in our country. The letters you received are definitely the truth. I am one of them, had my license for 1 year and 5 months yet I don’t have any hospital experience. I am a volunteer of an NGO dealing with HIV patients and that’s what I do with my spare time. Guess what is my work? I am working as an English Teacher, an IELTS Instructor to be exact. It is very sad that I sent (my application) to hospitals that I know of in the metro then I only had one call and took an exam and that’s it. No phone call ever again! I tried going for an interview and that is for volunteer nursing. I can’t afford to do that, for I am a breadwinner in the family. I can’t afford to have no salary for 6 months and let my family starve in hunger and wait for the delayed salary of my father who is in Dubai. I am happy to at least have some teaching skills. I taught Koreans for over a year and now I am helping my co-Filipino nurses in hurdling the dreaded international English exam needed for them to leave the country.

To cut it short, I am still not able to leave the country and earn dollars for my family. But, I was lucky to find a friend who helped me work on my Canadian application. I will be leaving this year and am just waiting for my visa. I know it will be very difficult for me for I didn’t practice my profession for 2 years. I will soon work as a Geriatric Nurse in Vancouver area and it will still be hard for me. I am willing to start all over again, be shouted my superiors hahaha (I experienced that with my Clinical Instructor for being so slow in the ward when I was a 3rd year student dealing with so many clients). I’ll just have to learn all the things I needed to learn when I am outside the country but I will surely be nervous since it’s a different culture and place for me.

Advice to co-nurses, do what you think is right but please look for other countries not just the US (for crying out loud)! I heard of friends doing well in the UK as a Caregiver and though the salary is not that good it still is a good experience to have. Then after 6 months, one can register with the Nursing council. Six months as a Caregiver is still a good start unless you really want to stay here in our country and let your family moan of hunger plus your siblings stop college or high school due to lack of money.

To the government, I thought you need nurses but why have our hospitals stopped hiring or froze their hiring for us? We are more than 10,000 in the Philippines. Try to at least get us and offer us a salary that will cover our breakfast, lunch, dinner and transportation costs. Don’t let us suffer, we are not asking for too much. Don’t let us do volunteer work especially in some district hospitals or shorten the volunteer nursing program. 2-3 months will do. There are fresh graduates who are willing to render volunteer works right after they pass the licensure exam. Make it 2-3 months then at least the agony won’t be that long. Suffering for 6 months without any money – that is just ridiculous, we have needs too! We need work experience and government should work things out if they want us nurses to at least alleviate the healthcare problems that the country is experiencing.

From Jennifer:

I am a nursing graduate of 2006. I retook test 3 and 5 of June 2007. I share the same sentiments of those two nurses in your column. Like them I find it hard to find work in hospitals here. The pre-employment process is really long and tedious. Added to this is that some hospitals have age requirements that is they only accept those who are 35 yrs. old and below. I am a double degree holder, my second course being nursing and I am already 35 years old. We need to get employed here first in order to get experience for us to be able to work abroad. Trainings in hospitals are good and I am not against it but they should not require us to pay because we are not yet sure if we will get hired and that finishing nursing is already expensive! From: Jennifer A. Dominguez,RN

From Ray Anne:

I have written quite a few commentaries on nursing issues in my blog as well.

http://barefootalchemist.blogspot.com/2008/07/oversupply.html

http://barefootalchemist.blogspot.com/2008/01/nars-ku-po-nay-ku-po.html

To start with, I am truly and greatly affected by it since I am also in the nursing profession. I have been in this profession for almost 6 years now and I love it so much and became part of my life and still continuing to love it deeply through the years of my practice, that is why I am very alarmed with where this profession is heading.

I am a registered nurse here in the Philippines and graduated from one of the most prestigious universities producing caliber nurses. I have worked in hospitals here and in the Middle East. I am now a freelance private duty nurse and currently taking up my Masters degree in Nursing while waiting for my “luck on my application abroad again”.

The reality is… NOW isn’t the right time to pursue any nursing course or profession for that matter. It is no longer a lucrative profession compared before. That’s not just a personal observation but it is a reality presented in the recent ABS-CBN news 3days ago and it was supported by the PNA.

The problem lies within the system of Philippine nursing. The quality of education and the available local job opportunities coupled with the mentality of many people.

I would like to personally point out the following:

*Everyone wants to be rich therefore you need to become a nurse.
-right frame of thinking and values. It saddens me to hear nursing student’s reason why they took up nursing—in order to earn millions. Yes, it may sound practical and partly true but nurses should keep in the deepest of their hearts the real essence of becoming a nurse — altruistic caring. I may sound jaded, but nursing isn’t only a profession but a vocation. Bt if you where to survey nursing students, only a handful will really say they took up nursing because they love it not because of the money and fame.

*Nursing education has become a BUSINESS here in our country.
-Evidenced by the mushroom-like sprouting so-called nursing schools around the country. There are schools that do not fail students because it’ll affect the number of enrollees that they have. (refer to my blog post for further infos)

*Lack of initiative to be the best nurse possible
-given the not so good education, still nursing studs should take the initiative to learn and gain experiences and get good decent grades
-registered nurses should also be able to cope with the changing times: training, seminars, updates and even pursue further studies.
-competition is tough out there.

*Lack of support from the government
-given the fact that nurses are not well compensated and looked down here in our country, still the govt should provide laws mandating nurses’ side and also regulating the educational system for nursing course . The government should also try to control training fees of hospitals for newly hired nurses who are just trying to start their careers and gain experience. Private hospitals should at least be kind enough to give a sort of leeway to train nurses. FYI, a simple 3-6months training will cost you roughly starting 5-15thousand pesos depending on hospitals. Plus, different trainings like BLS, ACLS, IV THERAPY, ECG and the list goes on are like shooting pesos up in the space. What will a newly grad do? They need these trainings in order to become competent nurses and in order to fulfill requirements of local hospitals in their goal to land a job here.

*Strict job opportunities abroad due current economic recession and controversies
-due to the US retrogression of nurses, many nurses with pending visa are stuck here for years, then every year, nursing graduates keep on growing in numbers, thus, the void is easily filled up. Making no room for nurses, having no choice but to shift careers or be jobless. Strict policies on migrating nurses include several exams (NCLEX, CGFNS, TOEFL/TSE, and IELTS) and the list goes on as the cash goes down the drain as well.

OVERSUPPLY OF NURSES is the reality in the Philippine setting and it is attested by the PNA. And if ever given the opportunity to work abroad, nurses should keep in mind that they have in their shoulder the title: Filipino nurse, world-class.

I am speaking based on my personal experiences. I have in a way been in all aspects of nursing—hospital work abroad and local, tried teaching jobs and career jobs (but quit because I don’t love what I’m doing), freelance job and now pursuing further studies. I even contemplated on finally ending my nursing career due to frustrations and disappointments. But chose not to, because deep in my heart, I have loved this profession dearly. I belong also to a family of nurses (sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, brother in laws) and circle of friends in the nursing profession. This is why I have seen all the concerns of the nursing profession.

I have been in this profession that I love for only 6 years now, I may not be the expert on nursing issues but my love for nursing drives me to share my sentiments for a profession that isn’t only my bread and butter but a life that I love and treasure.

(Note: Thank you, Ted, Jennifer and Ray Anne for writing to Our Times. This space is open to comments from my fellow bloggers and those concerned with this important issue.)

Ambassador Lauro Baja, esteemed diplomat and foreign affairs expert, should just let the law take its full course. In today’s Inquirer, the good ambassador insinuated that the human trafficking charges levied against him by his former maid who worked for the Baja family in New York City for two months may be a result of his close relations to former Speaker Jose de Venecia.

This is strictly a labor issue more than anything else. Was Marichu Baoanan charged a fee before she was hired to work in the US as the Baja’s domestic help? If yes, then this drastically alters the nature of that relationship. Was there deception and exploitation from prior to and during her employment? These two elements go straight to the heart of what makes for human trafficking.

I have the highest respect for Ambassador Baja and his family. There is no question that they are well-connected, politically and socially. However, there are questions that must be dealt with before the court of law, both here and in the US. It doesn’t seem to be helping his case that he has dragged other personages into what appears to be a labor case between him and his maid.

Foreign Service officials represent the best in every Filipino. When a Filipino is abroad, our ambassador and his or her staff represent the different facets of our government. Social welfare, labor relations, even security matters are taken up with them. I know that many of our embassy and consular staff belabor under a stringent budget, especially now given the global shocks of oil and food prices. They could not pay the premium for their domestic help not because they are stingy or exploitative but because their allowances can only pay the minimum acceptable wage. But I haven’t heard of anyone charging a maid thousands of pesos just to be able to join a diplomat’s family abroad.

Marichu Baoanan may have winter clothing, and a few hours off to walk around Central Park. She may have a whole album of photos portraying her as a happy tourist. Still the question remains – when she was offered the job, was there deception and exploitation involved? That alone — not an employer’s rolodex, titles or accomplishments — that alone holds the key to the resolution of this case.

I am now officially harassing all of my friends to join FaceBook. So beware!

For someone who spends a whoollleeee lot of time before a computer, it’s easy to be disconnected or go “offline” within one’s social networks. Traveling the whole length of EDSA from Cubao where I usually start my day towards the Ople Center along Roxas Boulevard eats up too much time and gasoline that I seldom have time to visit old friends.

Facebook enables me to do just that and swap “cute” gifts and cyber coffees with them as well. At Facebook, I can choose who to add as my friend and who to simply ignore. I can “poke” good friends and write on their “Walls”. I can put up photos of my beloved dog, NetNet (ney-ney).

Every morning and late at night, I listen to my favorite songs on FB’s “Playlist”. Sometimes, the people I know on Facebook would appear online, with a green dot beside their names. This leads to keyboard chats about even the most trivial stuff.

I don’t even want to know how FaceBook was put together or the billions that it has brought to its owner. It’s enough that I now know how to use it, or even that I know it exists. So now when I bump into friends or make new acquaintances, my second question after the usual “kamusta?” is — “may facebook ka?”

2010 is still far away. I love Obama but I can’t campaign for him from here. So here’s my thing – join FaceBook, add more friends, and save on Starbucks, gas, and time. Welcome to my FaceBook campaign!

The Blas F. Ople Policy Center issued this press release today:

The Blas F. Ople Policy Center (BFO Center) said the country should have a reintegration plan in place for thousands of returning Filipinos as the Malaysian government and state officials of Sabah gear up for a massive crackdown on illegal workers in the island state.

“Whether a trickle or a flood, what is certain is that Filipino workers without proper documentation would soon be sent home,” the BFO Center said.

According to news reports, the Sabah-based Federal Special Task Force (FSTF) announced that around 250 Filipinos were held at the Menggatal temporary detention centre last Tuesday prior to deportation via a ferry that would bring the workers to Zamboanga from Sandakan. The FSTF announced to the media that it aims to deport around 25,000 illegal migrants this year. Filipinos and Indonesians represent the biggest number of undocumented workers in Sabah. Malaysia deported nearly 19,000 illegal migrants from Sabah last year.

The BFO Center said a special fund would be needed by both the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and the local governments in Mindanao to pay for the transportation, food, and temporary lodging of Filipinos returning from Sabah. Most of the returnees hail from Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and the three Zamboanga provinces.

The Ople Center headed by former labor undersecretary Susan Ople, said it was informed that the Philippine Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia has agreed to conduct regular consultations to ensure the humane treatment as well as safe and orderly exit of affected Filipinos. The embassy confirms, however, that the immigration crackdown will take place.

“In the absence of clear and viable alternatives, these returnees may be left with little choice but to return illegally to Sabah or join the rebels and bandits hiding in the jungles of Mindanao,” the Center said in its statement.

From January to May 2008 and from Kota Kinabalu only, around 9,670 illegal foreigners were deported to their home country. Out of this number, 6,925 were Filipinos and 2,335 were Indonesians. From 1990 to 2007, 298,601 illegal migrants were deported that included 161, 704 Filipinos.
“Does the government have a tracking system in place to ensure that these returning Filipinos are able to ease their way into the mainstream? Is there a mechanism where human trafficking victims who are sent home can be identified and helped through counseling and the filing of cases against their illegal recruiters? It’s best to draw up a reintegration program now before more Filipinos are sent home,” the Center said. ###

This landed in my inbox and I thought I’d share it with my fellow bloggers. In case you do have story books to spare, please contact Perry Canlas directly or write to toots.ople@yahoo.com. Maybe we can all set a date and bring these book donations ourselves.

Here’s the request:

Dear Ms Ople,

Peace of our Lord be unto you!

We read your last Sunday’s (July 6th) column and we totally agree with you.

We are project managers for Sibol Learning School in our Gawad Kalinga project in one of the Las Piñas City districts. We have a total of 37 pre-schoolers who are in dire need of story books.

The reason we are writing you is perhaps you can help us sourcing these story books for free as we don’t have the financial capability to purchase said books.

We look forward to hearing from you soon & God bless you and your family.

Yours in Christ

BRO PERRY/ SIS NINI CANLAS
PROGRAM MANAGER
Couples for Christ South A8
Tel no 873 59 07/ 0928 441 6075

What got Malacanang’s goat? Apparently, it’s the interview below where Senator Roxas argues in favor of a zero vat on oil. Cabinet Secretary Ric Saludo was quick to retort: “How can one show fiscal discipline and, at the same time, scrap a major source of revenue which has kept the deficit down and boosted business confidence?”

Roxas is calling for a review of the budget and the policy on the 12% EVAT on oil because times have changed and the crisis is seriously hitting the people in their pockets, affecting basic needs. Read on and let me know where you stand.

Transcript of Senator Mar Roxas’ interview on DWIZ with Cely Bueno
July 5, 2008 5:00 p.m.

On the continued rise of goods, particularly oil:

Q: Kung ikaw ang Presidente, ano ang inyong mga magagawa para masolusyonan ito?

MAR: Matagal nang hindi biro ito, at matagal nang nahihirapan ang ating mga kababayan sa sobrang bilis ng pagtaas ng mga bilihin, lalong na sa bigas at sa gasolina. Unang-una, papatanggal ko yung VAT sa produktong petrolyo. Agad-agad itong P6 per liter ang savings, at sa LPG ay P60 ang savings bawat tangke. Makakatulong ito sa ating mga kababayan, at least malalaman ng mga mamamayan na ang gobyerno ay hindi kasama sa pabigat sa kanilang mga buhay. Habang nagmamahal ang gasolina, nakaangkas ang gobyerno, may 12% sila dito. May kasalanan man ang mga doon sa Middle East, na pinamahal nila talaga yung kanilang produkto, kabahagi sa kasalanan yung gobyerno, kasi nakaangkas sila, nagpapamahal din sa produktong ito. Sa transportasyon, malaking bagay iyan. Alam naman natin na lahat ng produkto ay may transportation na component.

Pangalawa, yung gastos ng gobyerno ay ipapa-review ko, at kung kinakailangan ay iibahin ko. Kakaiba ang sitwasyon ngayon, hindi pwede ang ‘business as usual,’ o government expenditure as usual. Noong ipinasa ang budget sa simula ng taon, ibang-iba ang sitwasyon, kaya hindi naman pwede na ganoon na rin lang ang ating paggastos batay doon sa mga kondisyon ng nakaraan.

Q: Tataas pa ba itong presyo ng langis?

MAR: Tataas pa ito. Dito sa gasolina, sinasabi nila another P7-P10 kada litro. Pahabol lang iyan, hindi pa kasama yung pagtaas ng Dubai oil na $140 per barrel ngayon. Kumbaga sa boksing, tumba na ang boksingero. Kung isa kang wage earner, o magsasaka, o kung ano, talagang kaliwa’t kanan ang left hook sa bulsa nila. At saan sila tumatakbo? Sa utang. Hindi ka na rin makakautang, dahilan sa yung dati mong pinag-uutangan mong kamag-anak o kaibigan ay naghihirap din. De tutungo sa 5-6. Pabaon ng pabaon. Ang point is, dapat agapan ang sitwasyon habang maaga pa, dapat ipakita na ang gobyerno ay hindi manhid, at alam nila kung ano ang nangyayari, kaya rerepasuhin ng gobyerno ang kanyang spending pattern at spending priority, nang sa ganoon matutugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng panahon.

On other government measures to deal with the rising prices of goods:

MAR: Yung mga utang, dapat ituloy iyon. Iyon ang mga tulong sa medium term. Yung emergency sa near-term, ginagawa naman ng gobyerno, pero sa tingin ko, dapat madadagdagan pa nila itong mga tulong sa lifeline, tulong sa feeding programs sa eskwelahan, tulong sa mga biktima ng bagyo. Lahat iyan ay emergency, hindi naman pangmatagalan iyan. Dapat i-realign natin ang budget nang sa ganoon, matugunan itong short, medium and long-term na pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan at ng ating ekonomiya.

Pwedeng palakihin ng gobyerno ang kanilang lending programs, nang sa ganoon, ang lahat nitong mga pamilya naghihingalo ay may matatakbuhang credit na long-term at mababang interest. Isa rin sa pinakamahalaga ay tugunan talaga natin yung self-sufficiency natin sa bigas. Kasi kung magtaasan yung iba, kung makakain lang tayo, pwede nang pagtiyagaan yung sitwasyon. Pero kung hindi tayo makakain, kung hindi na abot-kaya ang isang kilo ng bigas, mahirap ang sitwasyon. Hindi pwede yung pasabog na ‘maglalaan tayo ng P500 milyon na fertilizer support.’ Halos 1 bag per hectare lang iyan, e ang kailangan ay 8 bags per hectare.

Ang point is, o sige, marami tayong problema, pero at least si Juan de la Cruz ay makakakain ng bigas. So ano ang kailangan na produksyon? So secondary na ang lahat ng iba pang mga project. Lahat ng pera, lahat ng atensyon, lahat ng engineering, lahat ng suporta, ilalagay para maka-harvest tayo para sa mag pangangailangan natin. Iyan ang mga hakbang na inaantay ko, pero nakakalungkot na wala pa akong nakikita.

Q: May magagawa pa ba ang gobyerno?

MAR: Bukod doon sa luho, mayroon tinatawag na prioritization. Sabihin natin limang bagay ang importante. Pero ano ang pinaka-priority natin? Dapat makakakain tayo. So doon sa number two, three, four at five, bagamat importante sila, bawasan lahat iyan – Mauunawaan naman ng ating mga kababayan iyan e – para ang number one, na makakakain tayo sa abot-kaya ng ating sinasahod o kinikita, iyan ay matugunan.

Q: Starting July 6, maipapatupad na ang Minimum Wage Tax Exemption Law, kung saan madadagdagan ng mga P700 ang take-home pay ng mga minimum wage earners.

MAR: Kulang din iyan. Of course nakatulong ito. Halos lahat nine months natin tinrabaho na ma-exempt ang mga minimum wage earners, at natutuwa naman tayo na naisabatas iyan. Pero nakikita natin na makatulong man ito, kulang pa rin. Kaya dapat tanggapin ng gobyerno na kakaiba ang sitwasyon, at dahilan doon, kailangang i-review lahat, kung kailangan tawagin lahat ng mga mambabatas, o kung sino man gusto nilang konsultahin, na at least yung gastusin ng gobyerno nitong second half ng 2008 ay iibahin, babaguhin o rereporma nang sa ganoon, mas angkop sa pangangailangan ng panahon. Napaka-close-minded, o napaka-narrow-minded o napakamanhid, kung ibang-iba ang sitwasyon pero ayaw pa ring magbago doon sa mga nakaraang desisyon. Maaaring tama ang mga desisyong ito noong panahong iyon, e ibang-iba ang sitwasyon ngayon.

Q: Kung babaguhin ang gastusin, kailangan pa bang dumaan sa Kongreso ito?

MAR: Depende sa teknikalidad, pero mas importante na dumaan ito sa malawak na konsultasyon at ipaalam sa publiko na ‘itong mga bagay na ito, desisyon namin na hindi gagastusin ito.’ So technically savings na iyan, sang-ayon sa government accounting procedure. Ngayon, itong savings ay maaaring ma-realign sa ibang gastusin. ‘Ire-realign natin itong mga savings sa number one, two, three, four, five…,’ kung anuman iyon. Hindi pwede business as usual, dedmahan na lang, tapos nagtataka tayo saan nanggagaling ang mga perang ito, o kaya nagtataka tayo saan manggagaling ang pagpondo na kakailanganin ng gobyerno sa panahong ito.

Palagay ko dapat ito magsimula sa Malacañang o kaya sa DBM ang mga malawak na konsultasyon. Si Budget Sec. Nonoy Andaya, kausap ko noong isang araw, ipinaabot ko na sa kanya ito. Doon din sa Iloilo, noong nagkaroon ng Disaster Coordinating Council, nandoon yung Pangulo, pinaabot ko rin na kakaiba ang sitwasyon ngayon, hindi lamang dahil sa bagyo o kalamidad pero sa iba pa, at siguro magandang i-review uli ang budget, para malinaw ang mga hakbang na gagawin natin.

When I was a child, my favorite sanctuary in our entire house was my father’s library. That was where Beowulf and I became acquainted. Where Aesop’s Fables would serve wisdom in the briefest of word counts. In my father’s library, the Book of Knowledge was placed on a shelf well within my reach.

And then there was the Readers’ Digest. With its familiar font as well as physical and literary “squareness”, it was Oprah on print when she wasn’t even a star. These were the learning tools that held me steady as I grew. Love for books when instilled in childhood is like a birthmark that never leaves. It never harms anyone. It just is.

Unfortunately, not all families have home libraries anymore nor do public schools have decent libraries for the children. Technology has driven books and children apart. In lieu of Readers’ Digest, they have turned to Ragnarok. Instead of learning values from Aesop’s animal characters, they enter mysterious hallways and dungeons in digital role-plays.

Times are different. Why a book when the gas tank is empty? Why a book when the children need school supplies? Why a book when there is Internet anyway? Why a book when you can just text me what you know and very few people bother to ask what the other one knows anyway?

Why a book? A library is a school with many classrooms. A book is a classroom with an audience of one. The author is a teacher with stories to tell and lessons to share.

When the “teacher” is good or wise or funny or dark, a transformation happens, and the student leaves the classroom with images that linger and words ringing in his or her ears. When one reads a non-fiction book, stories are told about the real world that drives the reader to hit the pause button in his own life – just to take all the information in.

In her book, “What I Saw At The Revolution,” my favorite writer Peggy Noonan wrote:

“Like most baby boomers, I live this paradox: Nothing really memorable happened in my childhood, yet I think about it all the time. No blitz, no holocaust, no depression, just us and the childhoods we cannot leave behind. We’ll be watching TV, and a black-and-white movie from the thirties will come on with an old lush score, and there will be a shot of a woman’s hand opening a picture album with the credits on each page – and suddenly we are overwhelmed. Such longing, such nostalgia and remorse, such sadness about … something or other. We surrender to reverie and tumble back in time.”

Why a book? A good writer can catch a moment and freeze it in words that describe the soundtrack of our lives. If you have young children – read to them. Let them discover the heroes that never fade inside the pages of a book. I assure you that discovery is worth the expense of buying a really good book. (Panorama Magazine, July 6)