By Jan Vicente B. Pekas
By the grace of God, graduation had become a past event. Something that had occurred and not just a fantasy to dream of just to cope in times of extreme hardship. We have seen the decorations for ourselves, heard the loud music of celebrations, felt the heat of that packed gymnasium, tasted the abundant foods prepared for the victors, and smelled the extravagant perfumes specially prepared for such an occasion. Graduation had become a reality, that, we can be truly certain of, despite any pessimistic notions that linger, feelings that had been bred through continuous trials thrown our way.
After years of having our lives molded by schedules and deadlines, the sudden open landscape before me is a strange but welcome sight. For years, the life of a student is hardly dictated by the person itself but the demand of the work before you. Countless planned activities had to be postponed, sometimes dropped at the spot for the sake of meeting a deadline or the sudden appearance of assignments. Now, the free horizon allows one to breathe without worry, to breathe deeply than we had ever done for so long.
Sleeping for 8 hours reminds you of the actual way to live as a human. Man or woman can still be productive and rest properly at the same time. Even time spent with pets, moments that would have been fleeting before is now a consistent event. To spend time with family and loved ones, that which rejuvenates the soul is no longer a special event to look forward to every few months but to be felt everyday. To live freely every single day, is a beauty that stands above many things, a liberating feeling that unchains you from all needless things. A feeling that should be felt by everyone.
But life cannot just be a floating kite without a destination in sight. The finish line that was put in our heads for the past years has been crossed and now is the time to find the next one, the next goal to dedicate our lives to.
In our nation lies a myriad of problems. Issues that plague the common Filipino. Dirt that clog the flow of progress and enlightenment. So many respectable people have pointed us in a direction, that towards serving the people. In our respective journeys may we find the resolve to pursue that noble direction. Even if we go now towards the place people tell us to, without personal resolve, then I believe we will only falter half-way through, unable to meet that goal.
To walk down our journeys is not something I believe to be selfish. So long as that goal of helping the Filipino people is set as a stone in our minds, sturdy and unyielding against any fear and hesitation. We can trek through different environments and grow as a person, to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills. Eventually as a Filipino, our destination and goal will be the same, it has always been the same for a long time now, that of confronting and abolishing the evils of this country, a mountainous task that has not yet been accomplished. **
