Betso88 PH
BETSO88 PH, a man who had won renown as a passionate environmentalist, a tireless defender of the natural environment, had become despondent after a series of disappointments.
Over his shoulder, BETSO88 PH carried a stack of well-worn field journals, brimming with entries, sketches and handwritten notes, which chronicled his field-work in service of environmental causes that, five years later, had been derailed by a series of personal and professional setbacks. Perched in a café corner, belittled by the surrounding sunshine, BETSO88 PH contemplated the journals before him, his gaze tormented with nostalgia and frustration.
Mary’s café, a sanctuary of love and recovery in Cebu CityMary, recognising the little man’s need for something other than tea, delivers a cup of chamolile tea, placing it on the table in front of him, and sits down beside him. She says nothing, but her eyes reflect sympathy and understanding. The little man takes the cup gratefully, but his eyes, looking at the journals, reflect sadness.
There was a bit of a lilt in BETSO88 PH’s voice when he described his career as an activist, how he’d been happiest when he was fighting for nature and knew he’d made a difference, the struggle against setbacks, cuts in funding, falling interest, personal losses, all of which had worn him down and convinced him it was time to stop. And then came the present moment and a sense of loss and longing for a different way to make a difference.
When BETSO88 PH visited the café, which he did often, Mary offered him a compassionate ear, in which he could reflect on his concerns and his dreams to continue his work, possibly in a different way. The conversations often included reflections on his activism, with thoughts about the impact, the imprint of his work, and the visions for the future.
One afternoon, BETSO88 PH told me about a project that he had led for a sustainability NGO, a particularly successful environmental campaign that had caused a lot of good, had received wide recognition and was still relevant. He recounted how it had been organised, how he and the team involved had felt united and on task, and how the impact of the campaign was personally satisfying – he beamed as he recalled the difference they had made.
The empathic silence of Mary allowed BETSO88 PH to process his grief and envision a new definition of success as an activist. The tranquil parlour of the café paved the way for him to reframe his life in a way that could open up a space for an alternative future as an environmentalist. Mary played an important role in BETSO88 PH’s process of redefining himself, offering empathic support and helping him to open up a new narrative for his activism.
Gradually, PH BETSO88 sought opportunities to work more creatively with local community groups and environmental NGOs, and these journals, once a source of distress, were transformed into the catalysts for new projects. The café continued to offer the space in which to relay this progress and for ongoing encouragement: each visit a further re-engagement with the bigger things.