I choose to respect the opinion of a Manila bishop about selfies and selfishness. I haven’t heard his homily neither have I read the text. I simply red the reactions of some angry adults on Facebook.

I choose to take the positive angle. I learned from my psychology class of long, long ago that people especially the young ith low self esteem are prone to bad behavior. They don’t respect themselves so how are they to be expected to respect others. They don’t value life so what will stop them from harming others.

The few selfies I have personally encountered on Facebook have been innocent enough,ego boosting. But I don’t refer to the likes of Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez in the nude; these two had posts by Filipino adults.

Otherwise I find selfies amusing. It”s as though those who post them are not contented with looking at themselves in the mirror; they need an audience to react to their various poses.

From my psychology class and my observations’ breaking into media boosts the ego not only of the young but even the oldies. Speaking of psychology, in 2005 in Sydney I chanced on a book at Koorong Christian Bookstore. I don’t remember the exact title but it was enough to shock me. It read something like “Why Christians Don’t Believe in Psychology”.

It was so high up on the shelf I didn’t want to ask help from the only clerk in the store. I wish I had Checked out the book. This has been one of my very few regrets in life.

As I was growing up, the mantra from home, school and church was “think”. Whenever there was a problem, the injunction was “think”. When I got so sick in the 90s friends and relatives told me I got sick because I thought too much. Surprisingly my psychiatrist never echoed what everybody else said.

When my husband and I were team teaching at the graduate school in the 2000s we showed the fil “The Secret”. It was a hit with the students. I had a lot of misgivings about the film being too contrived and mechanical. Joe Vitale was one of the personalities in the film. I was not impressed at all with Vitale.

In 2009, in London I chanced upon Vitale’s book, “Zero Limits”. I saw this earlier at National Bookstore at Makati, Philippines but it did not interest me. The copy I bought in London enchanted me.

Vitale and Martha Beck have convinced me to neutralize my thoughts. Both authors do not sound airy-fairy even when they write about how to make your thoughts become a reality. Minutes ago from Facebook I got this from Alice in Wonderland Teatray:

There is no need to be trapped by your thinking,

You are more than your thoughts…

Feel….

Be free

Break through

Your personal paradigm reflects not only your culture, family and life experiences but the ways that you, because of your unique temperament, have interpreted and responded to your environment. Our openness to what is new affects our view of the world.

For years I have been going to Sunday Mass for compliance. I have been afraid of the wrath of God so I have been going to Sunday Mass. But Sunday Mass at Novena Church in Singapore this September was an experience. It was inconvenient to climb some steps with my cane to enter the church but the usherettes were so caring and they  warmed my heart.

The people waiting for Mass to start were reverent enough, so unlike the conditions in Manila churches. The giant screen on top of the altar made sure the people knew what was going on.

Even the homily was short enough. I must have been primed. When a second collection was announced I didn’t bristle.

Throughout the Mass I wasn’t inclined to recite my litany of petitions. I listened to the priest and the responses of the faithful. I felt God’s presence. “Be still and know that I am god.”