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Water, the Staff of Life

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Twinkling with Ninfa R. Leonardia

A three-week old baby was found floating in a river in India. What does that item remind you of? Well, if you know your Bible stories, of course you will immediately think of Moses, who, according to Biblical History, was also found floating in a basket  woven from reeds. His sister Miriam, afraid that he would be killed because all male babies were marked for beheading by the pharaoh’s executioners, placed him in a basket and sent it floating down the river, hoping he would be rescued and brought up by someone who could not be discovered by the Pharaoh’s men.

***

Alas, nothing more was said in the news on TV last Saturday about what happened to the baby found in India. Was he supposed to be this generation’s Moses? I wish more will be written or reported in  any medium about this baby. What I fear could be the reason for the mother’s act was that she was not married, or her baby was fathered by a married man, and she did not want to be discovered. Do you suppose that baby will turn out to be another Moses? As predicted, Moses was able to rescue his people, will this one also rescue us from the ills of our generation?

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“Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink”. Do you remember that quotation? Well, if you do, I guess you must also be disturbed by reports that the next calamity our generation may face will be drought, or lack of water! This is reported to be felt in the Western United States, and ironically, it is said to be felt already in the place called Palm Springs. Will the springs no longer produce water? But this calamity may hit not only Palm Springs but other parts of the world as well.

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So how does human nature prepare for such a loss? It is well known that men and beasts may survive a long time without food, but not without water. How can we make sea water potable? Has science already developed a method of desalinating it, so human beings can use it for everyday use, and especially for drinking? There is even a report that a lake in Taiwan has dried up. Let us all hope and pray that science can discover a way of making even sea water potable, and I mean that seriously.

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The drought problem, added to the still mysterious COVID, is another problem our generation has to tackle. Seems there is relief from COVID now, with the vaccines discovered that are apparently succeeding. The only problem  is its availability, so that it can be administered, not only to residents of towns and cities, but to all our barangays and puroks,  including the distant ones. Will our government, through the Department of Education, be able to supply  it to them as well?

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The recent  accident in Mexico where an overpass collapsed, killing 26 people and causing injuries  to 79, led to the discovery  that the construction had been a shoddy piece of work. Whoever  had been the construction company that had undertaken it,  should be made to answer, not only for the treatment  of those injured, the interment of those killed, and compensation to their families, to say nothing about the removal of their licenses to operate. If their engineering works are being  given to bidders, then whoever  bidded for its construction, should have their permits revoked as well.

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Did I  hear it right? The item on TV said the United Nations is warning against another pandemic, this time supposed to be due to climate change. Oh no! We have not even conquered yet this one now decimating world population, how can we deal  with another? Since they have predicted it,  let us all hope and pray that our scientists and medical experts are already preparing  for it so we can anticipate  it and, at least, lessen its victims. I wonder – since our climate in the Philippines does not go to extremes, as we  don’t  experience snow or extreme heat – will our country be among those to be affected? Let us all pray for protection against it!

***

Congratulations and condemnations – those were the reaction of the people of Iran to the election of Ebrahim Raisi as their leader. Seems the winner was not exactly  popular, and only got 60 percent of the votes cast. Well, he had more votes than his opponent, and, as in most contest, the majority rules, so 60 percent was enough  to make him win. In fact, even a single  vote could have  clinched  it for him, but I don’t think that has ever happened. As the declared winner, all he has to do now is  to convince his people he deserves it.*

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