Wrapping Papers and Writing (Why Blogging About Health can be as Sari-Saring Kalamay as Possible)

Codswallop means nonsense, and I chose this name for my blog because when I started writing, I knew that I would never be confined to just one topic, that this blog is meant to be a combination of all things I feel strongly for. 

Codswallop is a niche-less blog, which is probably why it's not popular. Or perhaps people just don't enjoy my writing? I honestly don't care much (but thank you, dear Reader for staying through my insane ranting...much love!). I write because I have something to say and because I don't I will literally turn psycho. That is enough for me. Despite being niche-less, I tend to focus on several topics that I hold close to my heart: advocacy for sexual and reproductive health and rights, women empowerment, and social and political trends and change. Occasionally, though, you'll find that I've gone insane and I've written about make-up and the arts (literature, my short stories, craft and the like). If I've really gone over the edge, I'd probably post something about my love life (or the lack thereof). Hey, it's my blog.

I've been blogging for four years, but have only seriously done it for 2 years. I've been writing since I realized that you don't become a writer - you work your arse to be one. That was when I was in Grade 4, about 15 years ago (damn I'm old). This post is merely to share my insights about writing.

Here are a few points:

1. There are no original stories, only original angles.This is something I've learned from attending several writing workshops. Whether the kind of writing I'm learning is literary or journalistic, this always comes up. The story you're writing is the same story another writing is writing. The plot you've thought of might have been used already. Just think of the parallels of The Hunger Games and Battle Royale. And if you're covering a story, you can be sure that someone else is covering it as well. When it gets published, it's quite possible that what you've written mirrors what somebody else has. 


There are no original stories. In literature, we try and go around this little unpleasantness by turning to a plot-driven and/or character-driven technique. The way a character reacts to a kaskas plot makes the story more interesting. For instance, a husband and wife having difficulty getting pregnant is a typical story. We've seen it a thousand times. A man and a mananaggal wife having difficulty getting pregnant is a different story all together. And then of course there is putting a spin to an old plot by devising some sort of twist in the end. 

So how do we make an unoriginal story our own? By attacking it in a different angle. We see this in many feature stories. If, for instance, we're writing about Lito Atienza's contraceptive ban in Manila, we will probably find stories containing the 5Ws and 1H - a typical straight news. We will also probably find a story of a woman with 9 children who doesn't want to have more but is once again pregnant because she can't afford to buy a condom. Same story, different angle.

2. Health is an interdependent issue. As a nurse, this is something I know in theory and practice to be true. Nurses are everywhere, and those who believe that we are only meant for the hospital are in serious need of a re-education. Health is so intertwined with the many aspects of human life that to talk about health effectively, you must be willing to touch those which affect it.

Last year, I was lucky to have been part of the volunteer team of the Forum for Family Planning Development. The Forum staged a play at Greenhills called The Vagina Monologue (in Filipino). This play is well known all over the world. The play told different stories of vaginas, but ultimately pinpointed the disgust, the hesitation, the the refusal of saying the word vagina and talking about the issues connected to it. This is in particular importance because in the world of sexual and reproductive health and rights, patient education is one of the most important elements. Unfortunately, in a culture which propagates malice in uttering names of body parts related to sex, patient education becomes ineffective.

This year, I was lucky enough to have finished a 9-week course on AIDS. The first three weeks were hardcore science, but we eventually came to lessons on changing ideologies and action as a form of preventive measure against HIV. One of the things we discussed was Scenarios from Africa, a group which makes films. Yes, I was taking an AIDS course and we talked about film making. We even watched some and wrote reflections on it. The films made by Scenarios from Africa relate to the many aspects of HIV/AIS - from preventive actions to surviving the disease psychologically. You see, tapping the arts is quite important in information dissemination and health.

 If you're interested in reading more about what I learned from the AIDS course, you can also check up my write-ups here, here, and here. The second link will lead you to our discussion on Scenarios from Africa.

I have always been vocal about my criticisms regarding various religion. This is because religion has got its hands deep in the culture of a society - which means it affects the way of thinking of people, specifically by the ruling class, the legislators, the executive power. This is true particularlyin the Philippines. The RH Bill was dragged through congress for 16 years, contraceptive budget was all but abolished in Arroyo's time (Arroyo is a well-known ally of the CBCP), and now the RH Law is still under Status Quo Ante due to roughly 16 petitions, most of which filed by religious groups.

Kenneth Keng of Filipino Freethinkers in a bishop outfit. This satirical protest is both about secularism and the RH Law.

Literature is one of the driving forces of society. Don't believe me? Just how many kids have read the Harry Potter series? On the other end of the pole, just how many hormonal 13 year olds have read Twilight (excuse me while I suppress a shudder)? I am a fan of Filipino literature an, and if you rummage around my little Codswallop, you'll find some reviews of local books which I love. Recently, I wrote a review for Wakasang Wasak, which is a collection of novellas. One of the stories there puts emphasis on secularism and the RH Law. Talk about a badass social commentary.

When I was in high school and college, I went through what adults would call "period of teenage angst". I was a complete emotional wreck and parasuewed up suicidal stuff wasn't far from the surface of my head (along with pathophysiology of heart diseases and the suspicion that God had a screwed up sense of pretty). I turned to art: painting, doing stuff with my hands, beading, writing. It saved me from spiraling into complete depression. 

During my 4th year, I took up Mental Health Nursing and was quite lucky to go on duty at ethe Philippine Center for Mental Health. One of the first things we did with our patients was to give them paper and crayons. Apparently art therapy is pretty damn real. (So excuse me if I post gift wrapping stuff here. That is apparently a healthy thing to do. It keeps me mentally fit, which, according to the WHO is part of being healthy.)

Below is a picture of one of the paintings I did when  was in 4th year. It's Charles Mason inspired, with lots of rage and teenage agony in between. Mom had me throw it away because it looked demonic, according to her. Given the emotions I pulled it out from, I don't blame her for seeing it that way. Still, I'm quite glad I made it. It's called Eve.

 

3. Monotony is codswallop. If we're all going to write about the same thing, using the same style, the same language, and the same angle, then we, as writers, are destroying creativity. We don't need to exist as writers, only as someone who mimics the ideas of one main source. 

To fail to seek how to creatively tell the same stories - that, to me, is nonsense if you dare to call yourself a writer.

Keel blogging everyone.