A story was told about a wise young boy who lived with his grandfather. The boy who was furious about his grandfather’s wisdom tries to trick him to falsify such claim. Thus, he picked a little chick in their backyard, gently placing it at his back, clutched with his two bare hands and approached his grandfather.
His plan is quite simple. He’ll ask his grandfather if the chick clutched in his two bare hands at his back is either dead or alive. If his grandfather will say alive, the boy will squeeze the chick until it will die. If otherwise, the boy will show it alive.
“Lo, I have a new-born chick in my back.” The boy said while gently clutching it. “Guess whether this chick is either alive or dead.”
“Apo” the grandfather said “Its dear life and future is in your hands.” The grandfather replied.
While it is likely that we have the chance to live a comfortable life tomorrow and for our future family, this chance requires pure and manual labor. Suffice to say that Filipinos are hoping to land a job but still languished to have even one of the macro- skills. What is certain in this dire situation is they’ll have a slim chance to outdo their lives. And those people end up being, well: peddlers, vendors and beggars. Worst is that – It makes the economy sick, since after all, it belongs to what we called underground economy.
Here in Philippines, we do have multitudes of men and women and, yes- babies. As some writers may say, this made the Philippines more advantageous than, say Germany where the population is depleting. My reaction is, but be humored with this. Don’t they know that Germany is far progressive than Philippines?
Then officials may say that the Philippines is exporting hundreds of OFWs a day. And, yes it is true that with the remittances these OFWs are sending, our economy is – thanks be to God – keep on floating. But on the other hand, we are only breeding disgust and we are only emulating the value of escapism.
That’s a very long story though and requires another column. That’s why I’ll make it closer and shorter for the love of my readers.
As what we know, many graduates hurdle to land in already cramp and few job offerings. In other words, the number of graduates far outnumbered the jobs offered. This dire situation calls for awakening among students who are fallen victims of vicious cycles, although have high grades due to rote memorization yet forgetting what they learned after a day or two. Once again, this calls for a modern- day Gautama to help us look for the Nirvana, since after all; there are more to education than meets the eye. Nevertheless, we have what we called learning to learn or meta- cognition. Unfortunately, it is rarely taught to most of us. What is the reason? That, I don’t know. Well, probably, for some teachers it is the bitter pill to swallow since it is doubly strenuous to teach both. Alas, teachers are difficult to understand nowadays.
Another thing, learning to read comprehensively requires an art and, yes- love and devotion. Sad to say, only ourselves can be relied around-the-clock upon learning this. What deeply saddened me is that I heard a lot complaining when they read, when after all; it is one of the greater luxuries the world has to offer. The likes of Somerset Holmes and Rudyard Kipling are known to travel, read a lot and write afterwards, and no more. As if traveling, reading and writing are, well – luxuries these two writers are doing.
Furthermore, there are students whose wicks are starting to flame but their teachers who are the ones who should fuel it up, extinguishes it instead. Peculiar I should say. A senior professor is making you grow older as she is. A middle- aged one is talking about the principles and doing the otherwise. A teacher starter attends to his class always tardy, as if, coming-late-in-class is the name of the game.
Upbringing, therefore, has to be a one- man battle. Your classmates and friends are soldiers of their own. If you bite the dust your friends won’t share it with you. If you became the victor then you exceeded your grasp and the heaven will join with you. J.R.R. Tolkien shared us a piece of advice in a song (read THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien).
“Far over misty mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away, ere break of day,
To seek the pale enchanted gold”
Will you go for the gold? Will you fly like the eagle or be contented in walking like turkey? The choice is yours to make.
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