* * I * *
Cynthia, her mother from Indonesia, and I have celebrated All Saints’ Day Sunset Mass at Christ the King last Wednesday evening. During the sermon and to my surprise, the priest quoted Lady Gaga’s Born this Way. Cynthia and I, together with the younger crowd, laughed as we saw him all energized at the altar. As though he was going to dance.
We are born as good people. Being good is the most natural thing we do. There is nothing extraordinary being a good person. Being good is not something that we shall expect reward. Because it is what all of us should do. It is not a matter if we can be good. Do we want to be good?
How to be good? First, start with our families. Be good to our spouses. Be good to our parents. Be good to our children. Live our life as a good person. And I would like to encourage you to look into the mirror from time to time and remind yourself, “I am a good person”.
The priest did not drill too deep into Lady Gaga’s song. But I think he has successfully once again, made his sermon memorable. When the Mass has ended, before the priest left the altar area, he paused, looked at the ground, and spoke softly, as though he was speaking to himself. He said, “I am a good person”.
More on this Catholic tradition can be found in here.
* * II * *
Open canals like this in the city is slowly being covered up making way for more roads here in Singapore.
At a not too far distance in this photograph taken by a phone is a Catholic Church. A wake awaited. A dear friend of my Godmother has passed away on Oct 3. She has devoted all her life in serving the community. I remember her child like smile and powerful prayers. She even prayed with and for the doctors and nurses whenever she was hospitalized. At 80+, the Lord has called her home. While sad I am, I am delighted for her completing her mission on Earth and into Heaven she would be. Her inspiration lives on.
Her last word to the doctor was: My work here is done.
Today, Catholics around the world celebrated All Souls’ Day. It is a day to commemorate all the faithful departed. And I am saying a little prayer for one of the most devoted Catholic I have met in my life.
* * Footnote * *
These two entries have been shared in my Google+ social networking site last month. I wish to add them onto my personal website too.
It is strange, come to think on it. Earlier on this year, one high profile Google+ user has made a bold statement saying that very soon, bloggers would prefer to write in Google+ instead of in their individual sites. Back then, I disagreed. Because Google+ is a social networking site, not a blog site.
But is it not?
Now, I think Google+ is more than a social network. The environment encourages writing quality entries. It is so much easier to engage with readers over there, rather than here. I am now writing in Google+ more than I write here.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not dropping my personal website. It is still good to ‘own’ a piece of virtual real estate and have direct control over my content. But I can smell the wind of change, feel the shift.
3 replies on “You are a Good Person (Because You are Born This Way)”
So why google plus and not FB? What can google plus do that FB can’t? (I’m not a user yet. Still unconvinced why I need to have one, or rather no one has tried to convince me)
Alfred – While this entry is about personal website versus Google+, I will try to answer your question.
A simple answer would be: You don’t need to be a Google+ user.
I have been very active in Facebook in the past. I have tried Google+ and really enjoy the features and community there. Why would one wish to consider using G+? I suppose there are some soul searching questions.
1. Do you have passions in life that you wish to share and read more? Not many people fall under this category and that is OK. Friends can talk about daily routines with some occasional spices all the time. Not everyone has deep passions.
2. Do you wish to engage with people whom you do not know but share the same passions as you? Engage in a way that is more than following, like we do in Twitter. But a two-way communication. Imagine living in a new city and making new friends.
If the answer to the above questions are yes and yes, Google+ is the platform for you. Otherwise, Facebook is perfectly fine if you wish to stay with real life friends.
I have different circles in Google+. One is to satisfy my scientific passion with teachers and professional scientists. Another is a bunch of real life writers who share ideas. And of course, since I love video gaming, I have circles on the current popular games that people are playing. I also have a local Singaporean circle too. These are new friends whom I met in Google+. We exchange comments and for some, we arrange a real life hangout. And many others that satisfy my different passions.
I also like the video hangout application (group webcam). I can use it to simultaneously hangout with multiple close friends and families (max. is 10).
The profile I have in Google+ (equivalent to Facebook’s wall) is all mine. Unlike Facebook, you can’t just post something onto my profile and let others see. Unlike Facebook, my interaction to other people are all private, even if we have added each other into our circles (similar to Facebook’s add friend). The benefit is that whatever I talk outside my profile is not broadcast. So, if say you are not interested in my political inclination, you really wouldn’t hear anything of that sort from me. Facebook has a ticker that makes me feel really uncomfortable. Like I am monitored all the time by my friends. Segregation my friends in Facebook is always a headache to me. Because some are really good friends. But we don’t share any passion that we recently into. Organizing circles in Google+ is a lot easier for me.
I suppose last but not the least, it is so much easier to tag my posts and sometimes, within hours (or even minutes), strangers who share the same passion (such as a particular video game) would circle me. And if I like what he or she is posting – aligned to my passions that is – I can add the person back. If not, there is no obligation. Also, what usually happen is that once I have started building up a circle, these new strangers may have circles of similar passions to share and all of a sudden, I am looped into a group of strangers who share the same passion as I do.
There is a book review I have done earlier on. More stuffs on Google+ that may interest you.
http://www.wilfridwong.com/2012/09/15/evangelizing-google-and-what-the-plus-by-guy-kawasaki/
My apology for hijacking Wilfred. Thanks for your effort/ detailed explanation. I am convinced, at least to give it a go.