starshadow_rivaulx | On Vox: Under a waning moon

So here I am, feeling much more in tune with the world now that I've had a shower. ::nods:: Nothing better to restore equilibrium on a summer night than a cool shower and scented soap.

Took Dad to see his doctor/golfing buddies. Dr. Rivera checked out Dad's eyes and pronounced them in good order (as I expected, seeing as my parents' opthalmologist is all but the top man in his field). Dr. Yumol checked out Dad's blood pressure issues, and medicine has been prescribed for that, with a follow-up check next Tuesday.

Dad has been ordered off the usual substances: coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages. When we got home, he announced that all of us were off said substances, at which point Ma shook her head and said she wasn't the one who was given the prescriptions, so there. Ramon's cardiologist has given permission for decaf coffee (heck, the hospital was giving it as part of Ramon's breakfasts while at the hospital); hubby is not so much with the tea and chocolate, and is allowed a small amount of soft drinks to keep his sugar levels going. Bwah! Since all of us believe Dad creates his own problems, I doubt he's going to get much sympathy on the restrictions front.

Daddy is the man, mind you, who commandeered nearly half the platter of scrambled eggs I made this morning, leaving not so much as a taste for my hubby. -.-

Ah, well. Such is life, and life goes on. It was a beautiful day, blue skies and sunshine, and if maybe there was way too much heat for comfort, at least there were also cold drinks, ice cream, and electric fans to help ease a body through the worst hours of the day. ::grin::

* * * * * * *

There was an article I read in the paper about a reproductive health care/family planning facility being established in Quezon City. It was hailed as an idea long overdue by many, and condemned by conservative Catholics for the usual reasons (dangerous to morals, artificial contraception is evul). The irony is that the proponent (or perp, depending which side of the debate you're on) is a graduate of a Catholic school, with staunchly Catholic parents.

It must have been a total embarrassment for certain folk to hear that it was *because* of the outreach programs sponsored by said Catholic school, that opened his eyes to the need for a place where people could get information about how to take care of their bodies, and access to ways to control pregnancy.

Let me get on a soapbox here. Anyone with two eyes can see just how bad life is for the poor people here in the metro area. Currently there is a lawsuit being brought against the city of Manila by a group of low-income bracket women, because the person in charge decided to stop the distribution of birth control pills because he happens to be "pro-life".

I was watching the woman on TV as she was telling the reporter how she had a baby in her belly, was nursing another, and had yet another at her skirts. The gap between each child couldn't have been more than a year! And the husband was an ordinary laborer - how in the name of anything good could he support three little ones *and* his wife *and* himself?

The issue was up for discussion on an early morning TV show, and now I've got a bit of bee in my bonnet about the whole thing. I agree with the statement that it is the duty of the Church to instruct the faithful about Church teachings. And the Church teaches that artificial contraception is wrong. Fine! It's not for the Church to *impose* those teachings on an entire nation - let's not forget that we do have a sizeable Muslim population, no doubt with their own opinions on the matter.

"Pro-life"...I don't see where it is in favor of life when a young woman grows prematurely old because she's had five kids within six years. Doesn't anyone remember a time when women used to say that "birthing a child is to have one foot in the grave"? Modern medicine does wonders to avert maternal death during labor - but (a) modern medicine is expensive, and (b) if the mother isn't healthy to start with, the odds are unfairly stacked from the start. And as long as the "think about the children!" argument is being invoked, just imagine how healthy can a child in the womb be, if the woman has another child at the breast (to save on buying infant formula) at the same time?

Judging from the population boom, it rather looks as though many couples enjoy their conjugal, and we hope, consensual privileges (assuming they took the time to get married, which is another issue altogether). So I think a little artificial assistance in helping a couple enjoy their togetherness would not go amiss.

Eh, what a rant that was. There's more, but I might end up being disowned by the internet at large. If you've made it this far, I thank you for your patience, and offer you some virtual champagne to celebrate.