You Are A Father?

As I mentioned in a previous posting I now have more than 2,000 facebook Friends, and only 600 of these are Filipinos. The rest are from approximately a dozen different countries, some of them Islamic states. Many of those from the Islamic states greet me via Messenger in different languages, and I've been able to converse with them with the help, albeit not superb help, of Google Translate.

A typical introductory question from these Friends, after the usual "Where are you?", is "You are a father?", to which I reply, "I am a father and a grandfather", and wonder whether they ever read "About Me" or viewed my photo Albums.

That question gave me pause the first few times it was asked me on Messenger. What did it really mean? Did it mean, "Are you old?" Did it mean, "Are you straight?" Did it mean, "Are you a responsible person?"

Whatever the question meant to the senders, my answer "I am a father and a grandfather" seemed to open friendships that led to more substantial and deeper conversations. None of them Unfriended me. Almost all of them continued to regularly view my postings.

Now alone in front of my computer on Christmas Eve, I am mulling over the question "You are a father?" and voting for it as the question of the night. I am reminded once again of the Philippine magical phrase "EGOSUM ABISTE CORPUS (EAC)", more correctly written as "EGO SUM ABBAIS TUIS CORPUS", meaning, "I AM THE BODY OF YOUR FATHER"--a phrase that is decidedly discombobulating to everyone. I actually have a stainless steel ring of EAC, and I am wearing it tonight.

You are a father?

I am the body of your father.

The more I study those phrases that function as portals, the more I seem to be able to comprehend them. Yet, I know that it will take me an entire lifetime to fully understand them.