austraLasia #2780
Digital detachment and "a post-post-modern type of grieving"!
CEBU (Lawaan, Talisay City): 5 January 2010 -- No doubt the writer of this reflection will prefer to remain broadly anonymous (though he will not be so to those who know him well!), but methinks his reflection on an unexpected New Year 'gift' might be good for us all! Hope he forgives me for this, but... read on:
"I write this amidst the joy and fanfare of the turn of the year and of Saint John Bosco's on-going pilgrimage in our country.
On 1 January 2011, upon arriving from our caroling at around 9:30 pm, we got the shock of our lives. Burglars had broken into our novitiate house taking with them three laptops, one computer system, three bags to bring the afore-mentioned items (which also includes two external/back-up hard drives, three SD cards, two thumb drives, and a bag of cables used for webcasting).
The burglars forcefully snapped three prongs of the bars protecting the window of our computer room. They were able to make a space big enough for a kid to enter. They left a pillow, and a 2x2 inch, 3ft long piece wood. It happened around 6-9:30pm when we were all out for a mass and caroling.
Aside from losing the gadgets useful for our studies and apostolate, what depressed us most is the fact that the computers and hard disks stolen contained files and photos we're keeping for our chronicles and archives including our reflection papers, reports and researches. The other hard disk has all the photos and videos documenting the visit of SJB's relic in FIS (good thing we kept some in DVDs and the documentation team of every setting is still within reach, although most of the raw footages taken by the FIS-SoComm Department were not saved).
On a personal note, I lost 5 years worth of literature, academic papers, photography, graphic design and animation. Which includes the whole design and administration files of www.godslovetotheyoung.info .
What have we learned? First, there is a pressing need to secure our place. We've learned that this is not the first incident of robbery in the novitiate, although this is the biggest (news even reached the local newspaper). As of writing, we have installed new locks and had our window bars reinforced.
They are using kids. Although we have not yet identified suspects, we are very sure that they've involved a kid. Based on what we saw -- small entrance through the window, small finger marks -- we surmise that a young kid was asked to enter the room and take the items. The police shared the information that burglars involve minors because they can't be put in jail. We are saddened by this fact. All the more we feel the need to be with the young, educate them and be signs and bearers of God's love to them.
~
On an even more personal note, having gone through a post-post-modern kind of grieving (a digital one, you may say), I realized that it is a kind of parting, a detachment. For 5 years + I was holding dear those works of literature, art, thinking that they are mine and I could someday brag about them -- showcase them in a book, or what have you, and take pride and credit. It has brought me back to earth and allowed me to lift up He who is and has ever been the real source and author of all that I have done.
It's by God's grace that I was able to wield such skill, creativity, talent to make those, IMHO, beautiful, inspiring, thought-provoking works. And, they are gone, physically -- or just in our empirical world. But I believe, the moments I spent doing them, and the experience I had and people I met (and perhaps have touched) in the process, stay with me forever. It's God's grace that I'm able to write this -- and look at what had happened in this manner -- now, too. Humbling.
I believe, this experience also prepares me for our application for vows come this 31 January (it actually gives me more time to pray and reflect since I won't be working much on the DB Relic documentations, i don't have the files and the computer to work with :D ).
I also believe that God is preparing something for us, for me. Whatever it may be, I believe that it is something better, something greater, or rather, it is the best for me!
----------
Let's use this simple but profound reflection to pray for a batch of novices from around the region (FIS,FIN, CIN) as they prepare for their first vows on 31 January; there's some detachment yet ahead!
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2010 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
Digital detachment and "a post-post-modern type of grieving"!
CEBU (Lawaan, Talisay City): 5 January 2010 -- No doubt the writer of this reflection will prefer to remain broadly anonymous (though he will not be so to those who know him well!), but methinks his reflection on an unexpected New Year 'gift' might be good for us all! Hope he forgives me for this, but... read on:
"I write this amidst the joy and fanfare of the turn of the year and of Saint John Bosco's on-going pilgrimage in our country.
On 1 January 2011, upon arriving from our caroling at around 9:30 pm, we got the shock of our lives. Burglars had broken into our novitiate house taking with them three laptops, one computer system, three bags to bring the afore-mentioned items (which also includes two external/back-up hard drives, three SD cards, two thumb drives, and a bag of cables used for webcasting).
The burglars forcefully snapped three prongs of the bars protecting the window of our computer room. They were able to make a space big enough for a kid to enter. They left a pillow, and a 2x2 inch, 3ft long piece wood. It happened around 6-9:30pm when we were all out for a mass and caroling.
Aside from losing the gadgets useful for our studies and apostolate, what depressed us most is the fact that the computers and hard disks stolen contained files and photos we're keeping for our chronicles and archives including our reflection papers, reports and researches. The other hard disk has all the photos and videos documenting the visit of SJB's relic in FIS (good thing we kept some in DVDs and the documentation team of every setting is still within reach, although most of the raw footages taken by the FIS-SoComm Department were not saved).
On a personal note, I lost 5 years worth of literature, academic papers, photography, graphic design and animation. Which includes the whole design and administration files of www.godslovetotheyoung.info .
What have we learned? First, there is a pressing need to secure our place. We've learned that this is not the first incident of robbery in the novitiate, although this is the biggest (news even reached the local newspaper). As of writing, we have installed new locks and had our window bars reinforced.
They are using kids. Although we have not yet identified suspects, we are very sure that they've involved a kid. Based on what we saw -- small entrance through the window, small finger marks -- we surmise that a young kid was asked to enter the room and take the items. The police shared the information that burglars involve minors because they can't be put in jail. We are saddened by this fact. All the more we feel the need to be with the young, educate them and be signs and bearers of God's love to them.
~
On an even more personal note, having gone through a post-post-modern kind of grieving (a digital one, you may say), I realized that it is a kind of parting, a detachment. For 5 years + I was holding dear those works of literature, art, thinking that they are mine and I could someday brag about them -- showcase them in a book, or what have you, and take pride and credit. It has brought me back to earth and allowed me to lift up He who is and has ever been the real source and author of all that I have done.
It's by God's grace that I was able to wield such skill, creativity, talent to make those, IMHO, beautiful, inspiring, thought-provoking works. And, they are gone, physically -- or just in our empirical world. But I believe, the moments I spent doing them, and the experience I had and people I met (and perhaps have touched) in the process, stay with me forever. It's God's grace that I'm able to write this -- and look at what had happened in this manner -- now, too. Humbling.
I believe, this experience also prepares me for our application for vows come this 31 January (it actually gives me more time to pray and reflect since I won't be working much on the DB Relic documentations, i don't have the files and the computer to work with :D ).
I also believe that God is preparing something for us, for me. Whatever it may be, I believe that it is something better, something greater, or rather, it is the best for me!
----------
Let's use this simple but profound reflection to pray for a batch of novices from around the region (FIS,FIN, CIN) as they prepare for their first vows on 31 January; there's some detachment yet ahead!
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2010 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
