Life Made Harder

Always we would encounter a book, video, an article, or a suggestion on how to make or do things easier. And it is true. There are a  lot of ways, techniques, systems, mechanics, etc. that can make things easier. Man, for so many years, had discovered and find ways to make life easier and faster. From the crude and primitive Stone Age, we have arrived at a very sophisticated and ultra-modern Computer Age. We are now hi-tech. However, on second thought, there are things that we have done that had made life more difficult for us that even sophistication and modernization could not do anything against. The ways of some had made life generally hard for everyone. Let me count some of those ways...

In spite of the availability of cell phones, fax machines, xerox copiers, and computers, it is very possible now to take you long to get necessary documents like birth certificates, pass ports, car registrations, baptismal certificates, marriage licenses, etc. This is because of the proliferation and availability of fake documents and to be protected against those who give wrong information or would want to have more than one identity. Using the very technology which were supposed to make life easier had made life harder. Apparently, showing yourself "alive" is not enough proof to give you your birth certificate. If your parents, relatives, or "kumadrona" had not registered you when you were born, and then you come to apply for a passport, you will undergo a lot of processes; get a certification from the National Statistics Office that you have no existing record, apply for "delayed registration" in your local civil registry (which has about ten requirements!), then apply to the Department of Foreign Affairs. In parishes, it is not surprising anymore to receive a letter from the Japanese Embassy sending a xerox copy of the Baptismal Certificate we issued and asking us if we issued such a certificate! Again, because of the prevalence of fake documents, the Japanese Embassy spends time in verifying the authenticity of the documents presented to them. I feel ashamed of the process, but they have their reasons for doing so. And in most cases, they are right, unfortunately! If people can only be trusted, things would be a lot easier. It used to be that applying for passports did not need the presentation of a birth certificate. As far as I know, there were a lot of countries, including the United States, when we were not required to get a visa. But because times had changed, meaning we Filipinos had become less trustworthy, we have to go through all of these scrutinies, interviews, presentation of documents, and even pay just to be accepted for application.

Travelling, specially abroad, had become so difficult. Because of the security measures existing now in air ports due to the threat of terrorism all over the world, you have to be at the airport at least three hours before boarding time, baggage now have a lot of limitations, you go through many check points from the time you enter the building to the plane (passport and ticket check, initial baggage check by a scanner/detector, metal detector, check-in check, baggage check-in check (remove your shoes, belt, cell phone, watch, keys, etc.), liquids must be limited to 100 ml, pass through a metal detector, manual checking by the guards, and visual checking by the  flight attendants. Whew! In spite of those checks, sometimes, some things still go through! I agree that all of these must be done because of the the present circumstances. But precisely, if the present circumstances are not present, travelling would be a lot easier! We have made things difficult for ourselves.

Big bills have to go through a fake money detector machine (which I think are not perfectly reliable). If you happen to have a very old and crumpled bill, most probably, it will not be accepted. But the point is, because of the possible presence of fake bills, our cash payments had to be examined first. While on the "fake", now, even fake merchandises, when detected or recognized, would be a reason for one to be disallowed entry to a country (the US and Europe). It is very possible that when you arrive at their airports, your luggage will not only be examined for explosives or deadly weapons but also for imitations! All of these because of previous experiences involving counterfeits. Again, this added to our difficulties.

Cars now have different security gadgets; alarms, steering wheel lock, automatic lock, car safe, GPS, key lock, etc. All of these in order to protect the car from being car napped, "basag-kotse" gang victim, forcibly opened, etc. Houses also have their own security gadgets like double locks, alarms, electric fences (this is expensive!), close circuit television system (CCTV), motion detectors, and the human guards! So much expenses and efforts for security which need not be if only the threats were not present. Again, we have made our life difficult and expensive too!

City travel, in spite of the presence of many vehicles can be easier if (all) drivers, specially bus drivers, are disciplined. Traffic should be more tolerable if we follow traffic signs. In Metro Manila, we have more traffic signs because our traffic managers have to address the unique driving habits of Filipinos; road dividers (steel,plastic, and cement fences), instructional signs, traffic enforcers, yellow lines (for buses only), allotted stops (private, taxis, and buses), number (color) coding, free windows, truck bans, cameras, etc. So many things which would not have been necessary if drivers are disciplined. The most important benefit is actually less accidents and less lives lost or endangered. Again, we have made our life harder!

If we can address these things, is it not true that life can really be easier? Unfortunately, these things had emerged for some legitimate reasons. It only show that our efforts should be concentrated in instilling good values to each and everyone. Otherwise, we would all suffer the consequences. The saddest part of it is that even if we have all the high technologies and most sophisticated gadgets available in our time, life would still be difficult because we still have to spend everything we have just to address our lack of discipline and immoral intentions and actions. Which, if not for those human inflicted difficulties, we could have used to make life even easier, which was really the reason for their discovery or development.

How about you? Do you know of something that had made life harder?

(This reflection was inspired by observing a fellow bowler who plays bowling the hard way!  Without explaining the mechanics of bowling, let me say that one of its most effective principle is; "the shortest way between two points is a straight line." This bowler would instead used a reactive ball (one that hooks) in order to down a single pin for a spare conversion. In the process, because of the unpredictability of the lanes (at times due to erratic oil distribution on the lane), he misses the pin by being too short or over. I thought he could write a book on bowling entitled, "Bowling Made Harder!" Who knows, it could be a bestseller here in our country !)