A shade of hope
I never remembered being overly political. Growing up, my parents were not queit vocal about politics. They vote every time but we would never hear much of them talk about the reasons why they will vote the people or we would not even know who they would vote.
So as a child, I never understood the importance of it. I know the textbook definition. I know that voting is the rights of the citizens as part of a democratic country.
When I entered a science high school, my worldview started to change. The stories that I just swallowed from my elementary teachers were challenged. We were taught how to be critical thinkers but never what to think.
How does that work?
It means that we were given the necessary tools we need so that wr can always find the right information, but we were never told what to believe. We were encouraged to think for ourselves based on our research supoorted by facts and evidences from reputable sources.
With these tools, I started to unlearn some harmful things that my elmentary teachers made me believe. I started to think for myself. I started to question things.
And in it, I found my truth.
The truth
The truth I found might not necessarily reflect the truth that others believe. As much as it is easy to judge them, I instead choose to be open minded.
There are people who were never given the knowledge how to equip the tools that some are given. Some may say that we live in an age where internet exists, facts are literally one click away. And while that might be true, disinformation is also just one click away and often, it is deceptively often viewed as facts.
Not everyone is able to distinguish fake news from legitimate news. And in the perfect world, this would not be the case. But in a perfect world, there would be no need for voting as everyone would agree on everything, right?
So the most important truth I learned was that everyone has different truths that they stand by. And sometimes, what these so-called educating would instead look like an attack to themselves so they refuse to listen as they are already defensive.
So while it might not be the best way to live, I learned to just let people believe in what they want.
It is too tiring to take on the weight of the world, trying to stand for those who can not, trying to be a voice for everyone. Maybe some people are made for that way of life. But I am more aligned to just letting people believe with what they want to believe while doing what I think is right.
There is no point wasting time trying to make someone see the truth that you believe in if they are not willing to see other perspectives.
Anyway, I got off topic
The point is that Election Day is happenin right now. Tomorrow, we would know what the country decided as a majority.
It is a historic moment as we stood at a crossroad where the rest of the world have their eyes on us.
I pray for an honest and clean election. I voted the candidates that I believe in. Beyond that, it is a game of trust.
Trust that others also stood for the same truth that I stand for. Trust that the next six years will not be years to be filled with endless debts.
Trust that the Philippines will be in good hands.
Just a shade
My vote might not be enough to change the country alone, but I know that when it is counted together with those who believe the same things as me, my vote becomes a part of a hope.
A hope for change. A hope for a better country. A hope for improvement.
Closing words
As you might have noticed, I have not been vocal about who I voted nor who I endorsed for. Well, not in my own posts but I support those who seems to believe in the same things I stand for. I do leave subtle clues that I doubt many can see.
Anyway, it was done intentionally as I have the belief that each of us are voting with the same hope. I doubt that anyone would vote with the belief that they are dooming the country. I know that all of us just want a government that will change the country for the better.
So whatever the results may be, I pray that we, regular Filipinos, will not suffer for it.
May we have a safe, honest, and clean elections, Philippines! A shade of hope, para sa bayan!
Thank you for reading this article!
If you want to read some more articles of mine, I have monthly summaries here:
December 2021 Articles Summary
November 2021 Articles Summary
I haven't made it to go home to vote but I'm praying that the next President will lead us and serves well with good intentions and a sincere heart to have a care for all of us.