Tomorrow's People

I think it was in 1986 when teen singer Lilet, who would soon join the legion of “That’s” entertainers, appeared in a popular Coke ad. It began with her singing the lines, “I am the future of the world. I am the hope of my nation. I am tomorrow’s people. I am the new inspiration.” It was very United Colors of Benetton-ish, as she was joined by teens of different nationalities by the song’s chorus, “united” in part by their liking for the popular softdrink brand. In hindsight, that was kinda corny but the relevance of the song rang true. And beyond the appealing visuals of a diverse group of youngsters together and expressing their affinity for the beverage, the message of the song feels both desperate and optimistic.

I did identify with that commercial back then, and the representation of that generation, because as a child, idealism was easy and the real world only consisted of school, and life was mainly confined to the classrooms. Everything looked easy on paper. That’s two decades back, and “tomorrow’s people” are (supposedly) grown-ups now, assimilated into greyer political situations, making tough decisions daily, and teaching the young ones in the ways of the world.

I wonder, sometimes, if our individual efforts matter in the bigger picture, in the grander scheme of things. The thought that each of us is making a difference in this messed-up hell that we call a planet is really appealing. I hope we all are, generations aside. We have different advocacies, but I guess we all want to be comfortable in our own spaces for as long as we can.

“Promise us tomorrow, and we’ll build a better world for you.” That last line of the jingle probably summed up the sentiments of youths all over the world back then. The world was a much different place, although it doesn’t look that much changed now, save for a few technological advancements that create the semblance of unity among different people. That “better world”, well, it’s a work in progress, I guess. Our own lives come first. We enjoy our truces when we can. And maybe, our Coke Lite, too.

Weird ‘Wet’ Dreams

I’ve been having weird dreams lately.

One was just kinda odd. I can remember Neve Campbell, dressed in a black business suit, in ankle-deep water, standing inside a ship. Apparently, she was in the Poseidon movie set, as part of the cast, but she was alone in the scene and that short one was being filmed as an outtake for the DVD. I think she was giggling and asking the director, who wasn’t seen, if it would be okay if she said something in a particular way. I think my reaction to it, as I was just watching the thing in my dream, was, “Oh, they were just improvising lines. They don’t have a script.” And the dream ended there.

Last week, I dreamed of an old, stubby white woman in peasant clothes, with a piece of cloth covering the top and back parts of her head. She was facing the wall. I was an observer in this dream again. I thought it was unusual that she peed while standing up and facing the wall, her hands hidden from view. The setting was quite hazy. But I remember that her pee was hitting the wall. It was quick, and she left. I looked at the wet wall closely, and discovered that it wasn’t urine stuck to the wall. It looked like thick, whitish bodily fluid that oozed down slowly. I was puzzled, because she didn’t have a male organ, and the spot on the wall looked like it was made by one, positioned a couple of inches above her waist level. I think I concluded that she pleasured herself, and it was yucky that she left her “juice” stuck to the wall that way. And that’s when the weirdness stopped.

I don’t even know what they mean.