WelcomeTo My World

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Birthday Message from Oscar López Rivera

 
picture from google 
 On his birthday, January 6, 2014
Free Oscar López Rivera
 My humble words for my 71st birthday celebration on 3 Kings Day.  
i’ve been asked many times how i celebrate my birthday.  
Since i celebrate every day i wake up alive that for me is the best way 
i can answer the question regarding the celebration of my birthday.  

At my age i believe i’ve lived much longer than i had expected to live. 
And that’s an excellent reason why i should celebrate every day 
i wake up, look up at the sky to see if there are stars or the moon out 
and feel the palpitation of my heart  to confirm that i’m alive for real.  

The reaction to my allergies can make me aware that i’m alive, but 
that’s something i don’t really like to use because it can affect my 
desire to celebrate life.

i believe we should celebrate every day just for having awoken.  
When i’ve this idea with people they have question it.  My response 
is that we should pay attention to the relativity of the human destiny.  
Because it doesn’t matter how miserable one feels and how bad 

one thinks conditions are, the fact remains one is alive.  And 
when one feels miserable all one has to do is to look around 
and one will see another person in worse conditions doing what 
might look impossible and facing the challenge without complaining.  

If one feels miserable because he or she lost an eye the person he 
or she sees dealing with the challenge that seems impossible is 
totally blind. That’s why we should always take into consideration 
the relativity of the human destiny.

When we start a new year or the calendar is telling us a new year 
has started we should look at it as a chance to complete what we 
have not been able to accomplish in the past.  When we face a crisis 
we should look at it as an opportunity to deal with it and to find a solution.  

It doesn’t matter where we are.  For example, when the earthquake 
devastated Mexico City and there was a major crisis we came up 
with the idea to raise funds from the prison population in order to give 
a hand to the victims of the earthquake.  We talked to the staff and 

the idea was accepted.  We were allowed to set up tables and get 
the prisoners to sign a form to have the money discounted from their funds.  
Within two hours we had raised over five thousand dollars.  At first we 

had no idea how to help the victims.  But after discussing the issue we 
were able to come up with a solution.  We were able to do what for 
others seemed impossible.

Celebrate life and not the commodification of it.  We can share and enjoy 
the act of and make it meaningful.  We can celebrate any such moment 
and give meaning to our daily life and make it a real important cultural event.  

Life is an act of giving and receiving.  But when the sharing of gifts is 
commodified it becomes another act of consumerism and our culture is 
the one that suffers its consequences.  Any moment we celebrate our 

culture we are helping to pass it on to future generations and to 
strengthen it.  But if we allow it to become an act of consumerism we 
are contributing to its vulgarization and its demise.  Let’s celebrate 
3 Kings Day and enjoy it to the utmost. 

If we believe a better and more just world is possible, we don’t have to go 
to a far away place in the globe to make our contribution to such a 
lofty cause.  We can do it right where we live.  But we have to be willing 

to roll up our sleeves and do the hard work.  Words are important, but it’s 
the work that bears fruits.  And if we learn one lesson in life that’s 
worthwhile holding on and passing it on is that the only thing that’s 

impossible is that that doesn’t get done.  It was Madeba who said 
that any problem us humans create have a solution.  If there is a 
poverty problem it can be solved if we tackle it.  Let’s emulate Madeba’s 
example.  Let’s dare to struggle. let’s dare to win.  Talk the talk and 

walk the walk.  i leave you with a big hug with much love.  

Take care, abrazos,

 
Oscar López Rivera
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