By Santy Asanuma —
Published 1/02/03 Whatanow Column
Alii B,
I strongly believe that everyone has to say that 2002 was an eventful (“betok el tekoi el dilubech”) year to say the least. Some good and some bad. However, it is the bad things mostly that preoccupied (“ikel de blechoel mesaod malechub e ke domdasu el kirel”) our time and resources. Things in general in Palau kept going toward more complications (“mral mobedul a cheliseksikd”). Only few who are paying close attention on what is happening to Palau or those perceptive enough (“sebechir leues a tekoi e te mo medengei el kmo ngara ngarengii malechub e ng mo dubech”) are uneasy (“suebek a rengrir”) where we are heading as a country. The combined Palauan leadership both elected and traditional continues to be in the state of denial (“ng di tir el mengeuid a rengrir ra betok el telemall el de ngara chesel”). To top it all, Palau lost Fr. Felix Yaoch at the end of the year. He was one of the few church leaders who have always reminded us to stay on the side of good. He used to say to Palauan churchgoers that we have to be good persons (“ungil el chad”) and good Palauans (“ungil el chad er a Belau”) before becoming good Christians.
Not knowing that we are “dame” (not doing good in Palauan-Japanese) can really bring in more problems to us than we already have. In business like many things in life, if you do not correct mistakes it is either you will have to spend more money than necessary to do work that should have been done bcorrectly in the first place or you simply face the final consequence-business “matai”. I know many people who are totally dumbfounded (“te raurengrir”) why their life seems so hard or full of painful experiences. But at the same time they continue to ignore problems or mistakes right under their nose. I am bold (“ng diak el sebek a renguk”) to say that this problem of not correcting problems is not only affecting people with their personal affairs but also the cause of our national problems as a country.
Therefore as a personal New Year’s resolution, I pledge to help Palau beginning first with myself. While the economy is not hot here and around the world and there is every reason for businesses to complain about slow sales, I am resolved to do more business this year. And business should not be separated with my commitment to do what is good. After all, I cannot leave being a father, a Palauan, and Catholic parts of me at home and come to work everyday. That is where I have made mistakes in the past. And I believe we make mistakes easily because we forget who we are and what we believe in. This applies to any person including leaders. However, there is always hope because we can always change and move away from bad things that we do.
On the first day of this year during a prayer breakfast at the President’s office compound at about six o’clock in the morning a new hope was voiced out through the mouth of a relatively young priest. Fr. Rusk Saburo reflected on a reading from the Book of Numbers in the scriptures. The idea of a promised land or something new kept the Israelites walking through the desert for 40 years. They were willing to face hardship because something new was coming to them.
Pastor DePaiva of SDA Church shared during this prayer service that very few governments in the world begin their new year with a prayer service. He said that the moon on our flag reflects light from a greater source (sun). He suggested that our lives in Palau too should reflect light from the Almighty. There are still church leaders in Palau defending what is good and reminding us to stay on the side of good. Whatever good you were doing last year do more of it this year and start correcting problems beginning with the smallest ones and the ones closest to you.
God Bless Palau & Happy New Year 2012.
