POST PAPA FRANCIS INSIGHTS 1

What makes Pope Francis refreshing in our midst is that his language is reeking with goodness. Everything he had said to us was for our own good, for the good of the poor, the streetchildren. It was not political; no he was nt campaigning for a political post -- that was why it was very refreshing and you could listen to him again and again.

In fact, I spent the whole Thursday and half of Friday listening to him. I only left the TV set last Sunday, when he was going to say mass at Luneta. No, I don't regret not having seen that because for me, what is important are his words, not the scenery.

Because I tried twice to get near him to get a good camera shot, I have first-hand knowledge of the kind of crowd-control that happened there, first at Roxas Boulevard and along Taft Avenue. I must say, we could still stand a grrueat chance of learning how to handle the crowd. I didn't like the push-overs, the "bahala-kayo-sa-buhay-ninyo" rule of watching for the Pope to pass by. No, there has got to be a more respectable way for the people to watch him, to revere his presence while passing by.

I am thinking of three-tiered wooden benches underneath the LRT where the women, the elderly, the pwds and pregnant/and/or mothers with children could sit down and watch, without having to hustle and jostle among the crowd. There we could sit down, and then when he passes by, we could even blow him a kiss. Not like those where we have to request again and again the girls to stop waving their hands because they are covering the camera lens, or tell the police guys to please squat down when he passes by so we could get a good view instead of their heads covering him as the Popemobile passes by.

Yes, the people were disciplined only because everyone was carrying a camera. And what is that? A very sensitive gadget that could be broken once dropped on the ground. And so everyone was respectful of each other.

Another way is for us to have sectoral shots with the Pope next time around. We could ask for a photoshot, groupwise. But maybe this is a great security risk. So we have to be satisfied with standees? Haha! It's good enough but if you have a video in your camera, then it isn't.

Anyway, I would like to write down some of my other insights again. Right now, I am still gathering my thoughts, Folks. Our UP HI batch 65 will have a reunion and I am so excited about it already. January 28, Grand Night, at Oasis, 169 Aurora boulevard, San Juan. Batchmates, those who are hibernating, stop and come over! For further info please contact Grace Tuason -- 09175260125. See you there!