DECLARATION

“I’M SORRY.”

These words greeted an unsuspecting high school class one fine morning. All seven letters, formed from cut newspaper, were taped to the wall outside the classroom. It turned out to be a dramatic attempt of one member of the class to apologize to one classmate (who incidentally was his girlfriend as well) for previous transgressions he caused her. The apology though was not immediately accepted, and the incoming teacher told the perpetrator of this ruse to remove everything off the wall once he accomplished whatever purpose he had in mind.

If Mr. Public Apology had Facebook then, perhaps he would not have had to do such silly stunt.

The explosion of online social networking has effectively transformed personal expression of emotions unto other people into public declarations of emotions for others. With Facebook and Twitter, all netizens effectively are drawn to the emotional communications going on between different people at different periods in time. Any individual who has no qualms of publicizing his or her emotions for others need not resort to any publicity stunt to do so; the Internet is his or her own personal loudspeaker and amplifier.

Does it pay to profess your love for your special someone over cyberspace?

Cyberspace provides the perfect avenue to dispense with issues of composure and certitude that comes with confrontations. At best the struggle would come only in crafting a meaningful message of love; otherwise the conveyance of the message is instant and hassle-free. Once the decision is made to declare your love over the Internet, a choice is also made not to restrict the consequences of such an emotional declaration within the confines of a private relationship, but also to bare everything out into the public cyber sphere.

But perhaps, there is sense to laying down giant letters that form the words “I LOVE YOU” over the Sunken Garden.

A declaration of great love is always a momentous occasion full of untold significance and depth. It is not a product of acts done overnight, but rather the accumulation of different encounters and moments of incomparable meaning. To resort to foolhardy ways of saying “I love you” may be unnecessary or improper, and yet, such means show there is also that greater need to exert a certain amount of effort to channel the essence behind those words. Others may see that Facebook is enough, while others may feel that a special someone deserves to see, hear and feel how much love fills that declaration of love.

“I love you…” Nope, no declaration of love here.

Aldan S. Avila, Entry No. 12