“Papunta ka pa lang, pabalik na ako.”
(You are just on your way going there, while I am already going back.)
That was the line I always heard from my father If I did some foolishness when I was just a teenage kid.
I was reading some posts from other users here, which I know most of us do. You know I prefer to read articles about life experiences from other people than reading a post about crypto. I better read it from people who really know a lot about digital currencies.
Anyway this post is inspired by @Marinov with her post, I Should Have Listened To My Grandma.
My intro is an idiomatic expression which some of us Pinoys heard from elders or from our own pop or grandpa. It does not literally mean that we are walking on our way to somewhere while our elders are already on their way back. It means, “I have been there. I have done that.”
As a teenage kid whenever I used to do something like I was fooling my father, he would not get mad at me. He will just say, “Junior, papunta ka pa lang ha. Ako, pabalik na.” (Junior, I have been to your foolishness, I have done that.)
So whenever we hear such lines from our elders. We should listen and don’t take it for granted. Because they already have had so many experiences and accumulated so many lessons in life. They already knew about it and we couldn't lie to them.
When we were young, our parents or grannies would always remind us. We should not do this, we should not do that, don’t go there or don’t try that. Then we will ask why. Sometimes they will tell us the reason but it is not exactly what they mean. But we, as curious kids would still prefer to choose our own free will. Thus disobeying the rules. When all things go wrong we think of our parents' reminders and guidance. Like what Marinov said in her post, If only I listened to my grandma.
Indeed elders are great teachers and guidance counselors because what we are experiencing right now were already experienced by old people.
I had one unforgettable experience in my adolescence. Most male teenagers and even girls are undergoing this stage where they will explore and figure out something out of curiosity. When I was in college I slowly started to learn the effects of alcohol in my body. So whenever the professor was not around, my classmates and I would hang out at others' boarding houses and make ourselves drunk. It was then that my taste for alcohol (Gin) was no longer bitter, more like water. Then one time I was so drunk and met a terrible accident while on a motorcycle. I went home with huge scars on my left face.
So my father would always say that idiomatic expression. For the event that we will have to take alcohol, we should drink moderately. The reason why parents remind us always is because they have already experienced being drunk. They already knew how to become totally consumed by alcohol and the consequences it had brought to them. So they are reminding us because they love us and care for us. They do not want us to repeat the mistakes they have been.
The funny thing is that even if we were reminded so many times we will still tend to not listen and do what we want. Then afterwards we realize that our parents and elders were right.
This coming school year, my son will now be in grade nine (Jeez! Time flies so fast). He is a smart kid and always on top of his classmates. However when it comes to real life situation, he is kind of mediocre. Sometimes he would also do some foolish things then I would also tell him, “Son, I have been there, I have done that.”
Whenever I said that to my son, I could see my father in me when he was telling me that line. I also remember my mother when she was scolding me if I made a mistake out of carelessness.
Our parents will always tell us what is good and what is not. Remember that most of us will become parents too, although some people choose to live alone. But eventually, they will get older too and they will also have their own story to tell to young people.
So if you are reading this and you are still in your late or early 20’s, don’t ignore if an elder tells you this. I have been there and I have done that!
Thanks for reading. Ciao!
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Hahaha! "been there, done that" heard it from a friend... And he was talking about parental responsibilities... Hmmm.... Nice for u to share thou.