A futuristic infographic maps time pressure, uncertainty, resource constraints, decision branches, and stakeholder impacts around a central clock.
Have you ever experienced a last minute scenario? Definitely, almost everybody had experienced a last minute scenario regardless of sex, age, and socioeconomic status. This last minute scenario might be your Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve or someone’s birthday, couple’s wedding, a dying person or even certain situations like last minute decision or action; last minute question, statement, proposal, plan, program, project, etc. These are some examples of a last minute scenario.
Here is a thought-provoking question that you have to answer wisely, “If you have given a one-minute opportunity to change you or your decision for better, what is that thing and why? Another critical question is “If you are given a chance to live for one minute, what is the last minute that you shall do?” How and why shall you do it?
You can ask such kind of questions in less than one minute but your answers for that questions might be one-minute or more. Definitely, the actions with that answers are more than one minute. Would it be one-minute enough for you? The time cannot tell you but you can tell the time.
Friends and families enjoying Filipino food in a vibrant restaurant
Pip: Dreams are the original unfiltered content — no editor, no algorithm, just your sleeping brain running a dinner reservation with maximum complications.
Mara: masmeron’s recent writing takes us into that territory: a vivid dream of a family dinner, with strangers, crowded benches, and a quiet question about welcome and belonging. Let’s start with that dinner.
A Dream Dinner, Crowded Benches, and a Stranger at the Table
Pip: The setup here is a packed restaurant, a family trying to find seats, and a stranger who needs a place to sit — the kind of small social moment that dreams somehow make feel enormous.
Mara: The post describes the scene in careful detail, and then the narrator quietly asks a sister, “Pwede ba siya makikain sa atin? Magugustuhan kaya niya yung pagkaing Pinoy.” The sister’s answer is generous but honest: she can join, but she might feel awkward competing for food, and she won’t eat her fill.
Pip: That exchange is doing a lot of work. It’s not just about a seat at the table — it’s about whether a stranger can really be comfortable there, whether hospitality has limits even when the invitation is genuine.
Mara: The restaurant itself is drawn with real texture: warm yellow light, a long folding bench designed with individual sections, a shorter bench that the narrator immediately notices isn’t big enough for the whole group. The family ends up near the entrance, right in the way of foot traffic.
Pip: Seated at the door, not quite inside, not quite outside — which is a pretty good metaphor for the whole dream, honestly. The stranger is in the same in-between position: she’s at the table, but the food is Filipino, and the question of whether she’ll really belong there is left open.
Mara: The woman who joins them is described as Hispanic-looking, carrying paper bags from what seem like purchases, and she stands in front of their table weighing whether to sit. She eventually does — on that short bench — and then the narrator sees her again, or someone like her, queuing to wash hands before the meal, wearing the same black sleeveless dress.
Pip: The dream ends at 7:30 on a Saturday morning, the narrator waking and reflecting on the ceiling. It’s a small, quiet ending for something that clearly left an impression.
Mara: What stays with you is that the dream doesn’t resolve the question it raises. The stranger sits down, but we never find out if she eats, or how it goes.
Pip: Belonging is one of those questions that doesn’t wait for daylight to ask itself.
Mara: Next time, more from that same territory — the small moments that turn out to be the large ones.
It has been a tradition of all Christians around the world to celebrate Christmas. It is the season where families and friends come together to participate on some religious practices in their respective churches. Besides, people around the world are busy during this holiday season. Sellers and buyers of items feel happy most of the time. People mostly feel happy during Christmas season. Most of them have Christmas bonuses, parties, food and gifts.
On the other hand, some people around the world feel exactly opposite of the majority. They sometimes feel blue like the sky for whatever reasons. Although, they have Christmas bonuses, parties, food, gifts, families and friends with them but still there is something lacking to make them happy indeed. Perhaps, they feel blue if they do not have anything; if someone is missing or away from them; if someone is sick; if no one remembers him/her; or if someone is permanently gone and never come back.
However, anybody might feel bluer than the sky if he/she never knows the reason why there is Christmas; if he/she never knows the real purpose of Christmas; if he/she never knows our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, before you do anything this Christmas, just look at the sky first and offer a prayer to our Almighty God; to our Lord Jesus Christ and to God’s creation.
A few days before Christmas, people go to the shopping malls and public markets to buy some gift items for their relatives and friends. I want to go and do the same but I can’t because I am already 95 years old who are sitting on a wheelchair and nobody can bring me there.
A few days before Christmas, people go to Christmas parties and enjoy with their friends and relatives. I want to go and do the same but I have arthritis already and I can’t dance anymore. I have Alzheimer’s disease too and I can’t remember the lyrics of my favorite songs.
On Christmas Day, people rise up early from bed and take a shower. Then, people prepare their Christmas meals. I want to do it the same but I can’t do it anymore by myself. I can’t rise up and there is tremendous leg and back pains every time I move my body.
On Christmas Day, people enjoy eating their meals and having happily chatting with their friends, neighbors and relatives. I want to stay longer with them and feel their presence but I can’t do it anymore. I can’t sit on my wheelchair longer because I get easily tired and there is a back pain. I can’t easily process and feel confused with the various information that I can hear. I get easily sleep on my wheelchair if nobody is interested to talk with me.
On Christmas Day, people hear the Holy Mass and visit some tourist spots. I want to go with them but nobody invites me. I used to stay at home sitting on my wheelchair or lying on my bed. I have many thoughts, feel hopeless and lonely.
Before New Year’s Day, people go to the supermarkets and buy food items. I want to do the same but I can’t go there by myself and I have no enough money to buy some foods.
On New Year’s Eve, people cook several foods and prepare them on the dining table with fresh fruits and cold desserts. I want to do it the same but I can’t do it anymore.
On New Year’s Eve, people go outside their houses. They light up their pyrotechnics and firecrackers on the sky. I want to view these things even on my window but I can’t see these lights clearly anymore because I have both eyes cataract. Instead, I tend to sleep on my bed calmly.
On New Year’s Day, people hear the Holy Mass again then they go to shopping malls and have a walk on some tourist spots. I want to go with them but again nobody invites me and brings me there.
What are your wishes this Christmas? Is it the Christmas gift or Christmas bonus? Is it more than Christmas gift and Christmas bonus? Definitely, people have so many wishes this Christmas. Let me cite some of these wishes.
LOVE is the greatest wish this Christmas. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day, being the core of Christmas celebration worldwide. Jesus Christ serves as our symbol of love. The genuine love that He wants us to spread out across the nations. The genuine love that He wants us feel free in our own family. The genuine love that He wants us to share with the less fortunate citizens, sick people, poorest ones and persons with disabilities. How can we do that? So simple, provide them what they need and what they deserve to receive without biases, inequality, discriminations, abuses, frauds, overpowering system and taking their rights, privileges and opportunities for granted.
CARE and CONCERN is a great wish this Christmas. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, came into our lives because He has the great care and concern with us. He is always there and ready to help us in times of difficulties. How about us? Do we show care and concern with ourselves? Do we show care and concern with others? Do we show care and concern with our environment where we live in? How can we do that? Perhaps, it is the best time for us to reflect things this Christmas. We may ask our self, “What I had done this year that something worthwhile and humane?” and “What are my plans to improve those things better?”
PEACE is the ultimate goal of every citizen of the country this Christmas season. Christmas signifies birth and not death. How can a person be happy if someone whom he/she loves much lost? How can we attain world peace if they are currently doing violence? How can we do that? Perhaps, a person should have a peace of mind. He/She should have a peaceful relationship with his/her own family and the people around him/her. Always remember that a mistake cannot be corrected by another mistake regardless of whatever laws that prevail in the country.
HAPPINESS is an absolute dream of everyone. Happiness never relies on the acquisition of the worldly things. It does not measure alone one’s education, achievement or success in life. But rather, if love, care, concern and peace are completely present in every individual then absolute happiness follows. Did you know that these are the wishes of God for us this Christmas?
What makes your new year happy? Is it the food of various kinds on your dining table? Is it the fireworks that explode outside? Is it the loud music that plays everywhere? Is it your friends around you that keep you laugh all the time? Is it the gifts that you received from your relatives? Is it your special someone that inspires you everyday? Is it your job or work that motivates you? Is it the enough money on hand that can satisfies your daily needs? Is it your healthy life that does not bother you? Is it the love and care that you receive from your family? Is it the blessings, faith and love of God? Well, whatever the things that make you happy, you have to thank God for another wonderful year to you.
Time passes by so fast and sometimes it is becoming shorter and shorter for us. We want to give our best to our family. We want to give our best to our job or work. We want to give our best to our community. We want to give our best in serving and worshiping God. How can we determine the quality of life that we have? Others say that it is not the length of time that we live on earth but rather the quality of life that we have while we are still living on earth. Quality life can not be measured only on how long do we live on earth but it is really be measured on how do we live on earth.
Perhaps this new year, it is time for us to reflect on ourselves. It is time to patch up things that seem lacking not only for ourselves but also to others. It is time to settle up conflicts as early as possible. It is time to move on and focus on your plan. Show concern to others as the Golden Rule states “Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you”.
