If you’ve seen the film A Streetcar Named Desire or read the play by Tennessee Williams, the source of that film, then you’ll be familiar with this quote.

And perhaps the essence of this quote is what continues to fuel me to love this country more, or to still love it, despite its leaders having us run on fumes mostly. And lately, especially.

Perhaps the focus is on still learning to appreciate and support people, no matter what. Perhaps. Like this week alone, I am witness to and the subject of two strangers’ kindness. Out of the blue, extraordinary, not compelled, but they did it nonetheless – be kind.

One was in a queue at SM Supermarket, an unexpected detour in my mall errands early this week. I thought of getting one, just one item, and of course that’s always my famous last words whenever I enter a supermarket. So naturally, I ended up holding six items with my bare hands.

As I was aiming to get only one item, I never bothered getting a basket or any kind of carrying support. And it seems that many shoppers at that time only had 10 items or less in theirs, which led to a long queue at the blue basket payment counters. The younger woman before me also had no basket in hand, and only had like three small items. But she eyed an abandoned basket with a cart just a few steps away from us at the other counter. I eyed the same basket but ruled against getting it. I felt I could trust the universe to make the line shorter faster. Maybe she was more realistic than me, and quickly snatched the abandoned cart to put her stuff. Me, I was just determined to build extra strength and stamina by balancing that carton of eggs, bag of one-kilo chicken parts, three bundles of cucumbers, and one smoked salmon pack.

Unrealistic, I said, right?

But what happened next surprised me. Suddenly, the young woman left the queue but her cart was still in line. When she came back, she was pushing another basket with a cart, and wheeled it in front of me. It was for me, she signaled, just tilting her head as if to say I can put my stuff in there. I graciously thanked her after being surprised by this display of kindness for like three seconds.

And it felt like everything was well in the world again. Even if briefly.

Yesterday, the same story happened. Coming back to the mall to complete the errand I started that other day, I alighted from my Grabcar ride and thanked the driver for helping me bring my iMac desktop box near the mall entrance. It just so happened that a guy working for the hardware store inside was taking a break there, chitchatting with the guard on duty. When he saw me and my box, he approached me immediately and volunteered to carry my box inside, up to the repair shop’s interiors. What a nice man. “Ako na po, mam,” he said. And even offered smiles as we walked along.

Di ba, kung nakikita mong ganito naman kabait sa kapwa ang mga Pilipino, talagang magtitiwala ka, eh. Mas marami ang ganitong eksena sa buhay, actually, kaysa sa mga bitching episodes that always get highlighted in social media and traditional media. I know because I see it happen often. Others, too.

So who’s to say that the Philippines is shitty? Government-wise, perhaps. But people-wise? Sure, merong mga wais diyan na manggagantso pa rin. ‘Yung umutang nga sa akin dati, isa hindi pa nagbabayad to this day, isa naman namatay na! Hayst. Of course, we have our own rotten apples. Rotten bananas? Sa ibang kultura rin naman, di ba? Naiba ba tayo?

Pero mas madalas kasi akong makakita ng kabaitan eh, mga pakikipagkapwa-tao, kusang tulungan. Sa kalye, sa public transpo, sa mga tindahan, mapa-kalsada man ‘yan sa Project 4 o sa pa-pavement walkways ng Bonifacio High Street. May special word nga tayo riyan, di ba? When a community comes together to help someone out: bayanihan. Damayan. Kakilala man o hindi. Marami pa ring ganito sa panahong ito, kahit papaano.

Kahit papaano.

Yes, I’d like to believe people are kind, in general. Filipinos are kind, mostly. Yes, I know, naive a bit, some might say. I’d like to counter that maybe not. Maybe it’s being hopeful, you know.

Thoughts to be held with a grain of salt, perhaps. Most definitely. But good thoughts to have once in a while, nonetheless.

Nonetheless. ☮️