By Jan Vicente B. Pekas
A deep cynical feeling towards a brighter future for this nation has been the norm for many. Even as a child, the tips our family members would give us is to work hard enough so that we could get away from this country. Finish our education to be good enough to get a good job abroad. There is little optimism for the future among the many grown-ups in my youth.
Overtime I have come to the conclusion that perhaps the older generations have simply been immersed for a longer time in all the constant exploitation, impunity and all things that degrade the population’s soul, they have lost both sight and hope of a better Philippines.
Recently, I have come across some students’ views posted on the various pages for different universities. To my surprise, some of their opinions shared glaring similarities from the older generations. It contained their own beliefs of the impossible turnaround for this country. And they discussed extensively of their desire to just go abroad being the better choice.
I continued to read more and this time, it was about hopeful graduates who shared their experiences. With a person’s dream to do good for his country through his profession, he instead confessed of hopelessness again. That going abroad is again a better choice.
These views are the type I would expect from older people. For the first time, I was seeing people my age starting to be more and more cynical, away from the fiery and hopeful youth that shout about transforming this country for the better. Perhaps we are only getting older. That this was always the inevitable outcome for all Filipinos not born with a golden spoon.
I can still see youth-led movements and demonstrations here and there, even joined by people from different generations, but they are small in number. Hope is supposed to lie in the youth. But what happens now if more and more are turning to look for greener pastures.
As we grow older, the naivete runs out and the many flaws that we see in this nation remains the same. Before we know it, the youth of today may just have their souls degraded enough that they become like the older and cynical citizens who have fallen into despair. Then for one more generation, the people must suffer again.
In the extremely hard task of keeping the faith in front of such atrocities committed day by day, we simply must stand firm. Keep that same hope that we once had when we were younger. That maybe, just maybe, this country can turn it around. Before the day of reckoning even comes, there must be hope to spawn such an event. It is foolish and naïve, so let us be both, be foolish and naïve enough to believe that our own home can still be changed for the better.
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