Minimalism, Simplicity, and Jumbled Thoughts

I have put aside all other thoughts or ambitions that I aspired for. This is it now, focus on the present. You'll be able to go back to your other aspirations when things get better. When the time comes I wear myself out of writing, I can always turn to those that I have set aside.

For my writing, a table, a computer, a chair, and a good cup of coffee will get me through each journey. And yes, Google is my dictionary. I refer to it words that I am not so sure about. I also translate Filipino terms into English when wit escapes me. It happens a lot of times. This is why writing is better for me than live arguments or debates. In writing, at least I have more time deliberating. Even deliberating whether I will deliberate for my article or not. Hahaha. It is like plus plus or minus minus. Anyway, writing is awesome for passive people like me.

I recently tried the free version of Grammarly and I was amazed that it helped me a lot. It made my writing faster because it is easy to spot syntax errors and even grammatical errors.

I have read somewhere the following remark, "What if we could liberate ourselves of what we don’t need, so we can focus on what matters?" This hit home because it is what I have always tried to achieve. While my colleagues and friends and neighbors are busy dreaming about the grandiose of the universe, I'm here making myself happy with just the few that I have. Check this out! I'M BECOMING A MINIMALIST!

Neighbors would say, "Why can't a teacher like you assume your position of being a teacher?"

I laughed real hard inside me because I don't care how I look. Well, I care like I take a bath and make sure I don't smell. I fix my hair so it's not messy. I clothe myself with just the right clothes just for my belly or legs or boobs not to show to the world.

Those neighbors would say, why don't I wear makeup? Why don't I wear accessories so I will look like a teacher?

Really, I am not offended by those. I am even happier that they get to notice that in the hope they'll reflect as well that what people desire are mostly vanities! In our own time, we'll be summoned by Him and it would be best to seek true happiness than chasing those vanities which will never satisfy us anyway. In the end, one of our friends here said that I am the simplest teacher.

Also, I am being challenged by the fact that teachers have the biggest to play when it comes to education. With our current situation, we have to do our best to help the children. Not really to teach the subject matter but to teach children to develop a learning style that will make them thirst for knowledge. I would rather be called a good teacher than being called sexy and charming. Well, I'm already confident with how I look. I feel more beautiful when I do my job than when I do my job yet I have the air to wear make-up. Choose, the latter or the former?

I was elated when my nephew came to me a while ago asking me if I could teach him again. I actually used to tutor them and we would answer their assessments in the end. I could see that they are not really interested. I changed my style. I told them we are never going to answer the assessment part. I will only teach them the content of the lesson and I will be out of the picture for the assessment part. It made a great difference to how they listened when I was teaching them.

I know I have a long way ahead of me. But I keep seeing to it that what I do is productive. Or helpful at least to kids during this pandemic. Answering their assessment part is like giving away unnecessarily because your efforts will not be appreciated. We can never attain our objective in teaching unless we do experiments to see what would work. I am not being paid by these kids so I only demand that they do well or listen at least to what I say to them. Otherwise, I will demand compensation for my time teaching them if they don't take things seriously. I have my kids to attend to and house chores to do, so the only thing I want is the satisfaction that they are helping themselves.

On the other hand, I am doing my best to do well as well with my studies. I would like to apply to myself those that I wanted the kids to apply to themselves. I teach at a formal institution in addition to handling some kids in our neighborhood. It's like doing whatever I can actually. There are no fixed schedules save those synchronous classes and schedules for uploading of modules to the learning management system.

I've been through the process of chasing futile airs. I get a hold of things but turns out they do not make me happy. What makes me happy is inner peace and the comfort that the home brings. Peace within the family, respect for each other, learning to pray for one another... These are what matters. At the end of the day, when you lie down to sleep, peace is what will make you close your eyes.