Journeys Special: How Proud I am being an IITian!

As many professed about life after university to be a rollercoaster ride, I say it is one hell of a ride! My journeys through university is one characterized by so many anecdotes, experience in both theory and practice that helped mould me into who I am and wanted to be. This is how my education, perhaps, over the years since 1998 that I stepped out of the portals of MSU-IIT that I shall be writing it down, so to speak. Since then, I was invited to speak for the students at the university and gladly I say was able to effectively inspired them to be better, well, to my own estimation.

Back when I was at the university, I was able to create an society where my friends come from all walks of life, from all parts of Mindanao, Palawan, Indonesia, Mexico and other places. Enjoyed the life of a student under-achiever but struggling to make a difference in the lives of those whom I touched. Back in 1996, I started an unusual hobby which cost me to be headlined at the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 1998 in which they run a story about my hobby in which I wrote to presidents, prime ministers and monarchs around the world. First off, they are intrigue at how I was able to receive the reply in correspondence of the likes US Presidents William Jefferson Clinton and George Bush, Pope John Paul II, Prime Minister Tony Blair, Mexican Presidents Ernesto Zedillo and Vicente Fox, the first elected President of Israel Ezer Weisman and Prime Minister Ehud Barak, of course, I have in my collection a full hand-written notes and replies of all the British Royal Family.

Since graduating, my lot in the world becomes bigger. I have more shoes to fill, more roles to play and take on life at its horn, enjoy its free-ride and ended up with a Masters in Foreign Service from the Lyceum of the Philippines University. When I pursued it, I had a competitive edge because of my previous training from IIT. My professors at the College of Business Administration taught me how to survive, equipped me with the best to compete and wholeheartedly supported me all throughout my humble life and beginnings.

The world out there, as I say is one huge TV screen. It zeroes in on our capacity and capability to inspire and lead a life that we so acquire while we obtain our education from one of the prestigious universities in the country. When I was a student, I had my fair share of failures, in IIT, I have had failing grades, INC and passing grades but that alone, will never deter me from achieving what I wanted in life. I have a dream so I will achieve it. I have a blueprint so must I pursue it!

I remembered one exam I took in economics and an exam I caught unprepared. Sure of my failure in the examination, I wrote a note for my professor at the back of my answer sheet in which I can recall writing that “I will make good in the outside world, when the world out there is demanding, I will rise above my present stature and unpreparedness”. Looking back now, I am, as I have said years ago, been beyond what I have dreamed of. A PhD in Education is no mean feat and undertaking academic researches to find ways at improving basic education is one opportunity that I shared my life, now, I say, I give back.

The passion I have for others, not in being competitive but rather in being able to see through their lives as a mirror of what I have been put through and lived in IIT. My life at IIT is one experience that moulded me into the best I could be. I am educated to pursue my dreams, follow through it and leave its imprints so one day, many others will also step up. I have found them farther ahead of me and  from where I had been and that made me happy for it is where we are, to places we all dream about conquering, and leaving our own humble footprints, for one day, when we all stepped up, we do not anymore fill the shoes, we felt it and walk through life with it, prouder I must say.

NB. Thanks to blogger Rain Amantiad for suggesting to me what to write tonight. I hope I shared well enough.

Journeys 247: Footprints by the sands

A slight deviation from its original poetic title and as a writer and poet, I am sort of, entitle to my own poetic justice so to speak thus I will, from now on, provide its own “Footprints by the sands” thought. One early morning, while photoshooting the sunrise, I came across two fishermen from the sea. I hurriedly went unto them and check their catch, it was not many, in fact, it can only be sufficient for one meal but they are grateful as they beam at me, flashing a sincere smile when I went to check their catch.

When I went to take photos of the surroundings, both of them routinely carried their Bangka from the shore and to the waiting fisherfolks too, perhaps their wives and children there too. I never even dared explore the place they went to but was struck at where they left and I stood. The moment I look down, I saw footprints and the lines that resemble that of a straight and narrow path. It conjures upon my head some time for personal reflection and so I took photos of it, taking every angle which gives me more at ease and comforts, perhaps contentment.

The reason perhaps why I saw this as a reflection of sort is because the footprints are not mine but of two fishermen, lowly and meek, never even went to college, earn a degree, get a career outside the sea. Perhaps, their toil surrounds primarily at how life, so simple, yet, when lived freely, can bring satisfaction and contentment. The pivotal role of our lives to others and in this particular example is endless. I never knew these two fishermen; they even do not know me. I took photos of what reminds me constantly of my own humanity, that when we are lowly and humbled, then our footprints are more lucidly created, leaving marks not only by the sands but also in the hearts of those who see us through our lives.

Pains, sorrow, discontents, distrust, distraction, hopelessness and misery are what reminds us that we are human ergo we felt it but what makes us great is our ability to go through it, pace by pace, page by page, renewed, reborn and strengthened. I have friends who nurse a broken heart; undergoes physical pain, discomforts and many others, they need me more than they needed themselves. I knew I need them more than myself too when I am on my highways of life. This is how we define humanity for us. We co-exist because we care and it is beyond our own grasp that through what we do, think and act, we leave footprints, for others to also follow through. We leave inspiration for them to see us through  and we leave footprints by the sand, not to perpetuate eternally but to leave imprints of it momentarily, enough to create reflections, one that continually defines us not as “I” but rather as “we”.

Journeys 246: Because I am Busy, Yue Yue died.

After having seen the youtube video of how Yue Yue was run over by trucks in China, I was torn apart, reduced to tears at how people can ignore the plight of a child, in agony and pain, crying for help and safety. As I have seen it, it is because they are busy that they cant offer a help to a child. It is painful, ruthless and without a tint of guilt that these people except for the old lady who carried Yue Yue off the road and placed her safely by the side. Upon seeing it, I felt guilty, perhaps because I am one of those 18 bystanders and busy myself, I could never give a second look. I felt guilty for humanity for allowing this to happen because I am busy.

The conventional wisdom of aiding others has been relegated to the sidelines because of our own imposing definition of busyness. We failed to recognize people seeking for help, whether they are in physical pain or not because we are always busy. We are busy of living our own lives that we never stop to care. We are busy making money that we failed to look and care for the poor. We are busy for our family that we failed to look after the children of our neighbours. We are busy with our problems that we failed to look at how we can be of help to others bombarded with problems. We are busy with our own health that we failed to visit those of our friends who are sick and in pain and agony.

Yue Yue’s death is a reflection of how our busyness kills our loved ones. If only we shun ourselves of our busyness then perhaps we can look after one another. If only we can redefine our busyness by helping others, then the world will not be filled with accidents such as this tragedy. The pain of a mother losing her precious Yue Yue is felt throughout and her ordeal is felt through me like a piercing arrow. I felt her pains because I lived in China for nearly a month. I felt it because I considered myself Chinese though I don’t pass as one. I felt her pains because I am human and I felt guilty because I too, is busy with my life that I failed to look at others. I felt it when all else ignored Yue Yue and I felt rage because the deafening silence of the CCTV just heightened her cries for help. If only they are not busy with their lives, perhaps Yue Yue will still be smiling today. If only I am and you are not busy, our world will be better.