Witnessing community happenings recently made me remember a word my friends and I coined in our younger days. I thought age and time would have eliminated the ‘art of papelation’ but it seems not, for there are those who indulge in solipsism and continue to practice it with gusto.
Papelation: (noun) derived from the word ‘papel’ ; originating from the Spanish and Filipino languages which mean a material to write on. However, in the Filipino vernacular “papel” is used as a verb and means self aggrandizement; self-promotion without substance; elevating oneself; inflating, exaggerating or expanding something more than what it really is. Those who indulge in the act of papelation are called “papelators” and are classified as endangered species. And they papelate!
Papelators are sub human species who have limited peripheral vision. If not arrested immediately papelation may cause partial myopic degeneration and may eventually lead to total loss of vision. It is unconfirmed whether these creatures are also hearing impaired as they demonstrate selective hearing. They are not always able to detect human voices but the echo of their own voices titillate them. Sounds like clapping may cause them to react with their heads tilting left and right.
Brain power varies greatly according to the sub-class of the specie and the degree they papelate. Type A are high functioning types, who are able to mimic and parrot human forms. Like characters in a play, they assume roles and give themselves grand titles they do not understand like Executive, Doctor, Manager, Director, etc. Committee Chair is another title they like though it can be appropriate as they do have the tendency to just sit. They are inclined to imitate those in the arts like artist, journalist, publicist, media, marketing etc. However, majority simply prefer “liders” combined with other words like master. They have a sense of entitlement and drop names like “hmmm, ya, I know Packer.” They can attach themselves to a cause or charity. They have insatiable appetites and can gobble up ideas without any sign of understanding or warming. Excellent manipulators with impeccable timing, they can suck up the air around you.
Although very similar to Type A, Type B are a little milder. They may appear friendlier than Type A but they too crawl and attach to titles and disasters that give them opportunity to glow . They may be just as slippery and manipulative but are easier to identify by their two-to-three words “sige na” or “bili ka na” or “paki naman”. They may look and act tearfully, pathetically but only until they get the desired response from an unsuspecting human. Once connection is made, they switch on to other causes which provide more lighting. Type B are easier detected by the timing and the photo opportunity attached to the cause. A selected few of Type B have a fascination with lining their pockets.
Type C Papelators are simply ‘swingers’ . They may seem a wee bit daffy, flaky and harmless as they vacillate from side to side and swoosh in and out of places. They have the least developed mental faculties and are merely used as space fillers. However, caution should still be exercised as they may turn dangerous especially when attached to a Type A or B.
Speech abilities also vary according to the type and can range from hushed mono tones, mumbles although most Type A papelators may squeal in high pitched monologues or soliloquy.
All types however have a false sense of entitlement and inflated egos. They make crowd apparitions as attention is the elixir of their core existence. They frequently crawl around normal human activities although movements are restricted to circular motions with no specific directions . They can feign full on personalities, appear glib and super-charming. They can appear giving and can even perform the same “beso-beso” ritual that humans do.
Generous hearts and Idle minds often fall prey to these creatures who are scheming manipulators. Politicians, diplomats and real title holders – even the brightest and the smartest – can fall victims and discover too late they’ve dealt with a dud. Damage can be irreversible. Do not by any means feed these creatures. Sudden elevation may cause loss of oxygen which can cause permanent brain damage. Approach with caution as these creatures may turn ballistic without any prior notice. Although they like their own reflections, they hate mirrors and when faced with one can go into battle mode and bark. When pushed into a corner these papelators go in a frenzy and become totally incoherent and utter phrases like “What’s this…special…or general…special or general?” ; “where’s my sit – where’s my sit – where’s my sit?”
Observing papelators can be quite amusing and entertaining at times but only in small dosages. In large quantities, one will wish they were totally extinct.
