The Spider and our Acts of Kindness
If you are not familiar of the story of the spider in the urinal, let me tell you about it.
Once there was a professor who noticed a spider in the men's urinal. He has noticed that same spider in the same spot in the urinal. The spider had to endure the discomfort of the urinal and so the professor decided to rescue the poor thing. Moved by the situation, the professor took a toilet paper and removed the spider out of the urinal. He placed him in a corner on the floor thinking of letting it go. He felt good about it but when he had to use the same toilet for the next few days, he noticed the spider in the same spot he left it. It didn't move an inch. After some days, it died.
Lesson says that an act of kindness for one may actually be not kindness to another. Today I would like to talk about two things I have learned from the spider.
One: What standard do we use in judging the situation of a person?
Two: What is our real motivation in doing good to others?
Let us start with the first one. The professor thought that the life of the spider sucks because of the circumstances he saw surrounding it. The spider is being peed on constantly and it could be flushed into the drainage of the urinal if it wasn't careful. Unfortunately, the result of his action proved him wrong. He used his situation in judging the spider. Well, it is understandable because the spider couldn't talk and tell him he actually is comfortable in his situation.
For instance, I have a friend whose husband is addicted to gambling. She has been working for years in another country while she took care of her daughter who was just 5-6 years old then. It was a good thing she was able to manage things. Her better half who is no better on the other hand, was wasting all his money to gambling while also working in another country. It could be very acceptable if I tell her to just leave the man because he is irresponsible. But how could I? How would I assure her that her life and her daughter's would be better without the husband? Am I even sure that her life would indeed be better without him? Up to now, she would complain about her husband but in the send she would say that she has to hold on for the sake of their daughter.
Second. The professor's motivation in getting the spider out of the urinal could be pure but that is not always the case in real life. I am reminded of the famous community pantry that is becoming a trend in my country. It has also reached my barangay. Please don't get me wrong. I am not saying that the motivation of the people spearheading the event in my small community is insincere because I believe that the intention of the event is indeed to extend a hand to those in need. However, sometimes I have doubts. I say this because like any event, the community pantry could become an avenue for political agendas. There is a pressing problem on the collection and managing of garbage in my community. It is a very big problem which cannot be solved by mere discipline from the people. But what angers me is that the one elected to manage problems on the environment is the first one I see in those community pantries. I don't want to judge him just because of his habitual appearance in those events but I think there are other pressing matters that he has to focus into. Elected officials are I believe given tasks to do and that is what they should work on. Again, I am not saying that it is wrong for him to be there every time but there are other problems concerning him that he also has to notice. The rainy days are fast approaching and still the management of garbage is not made efficient. I think I will have to look forward to more floods and clogged drainages when time comes.
How to be Happy?
These days, things haven't been going according to how I would like them to be. I think I am trying my best but they seem to be to no avail. Things are frustrating me right now. I am also getting impatient. How long do I have to wait? Why are things seem easy for others but not me? What could be so wrong?
Sometimes I even think that people who are appreciating the things I do are actually just flattering me or even lying to me just to keep my spirit. Perhaps I, in reality, sucks and cannot be pleasing to others. To be honest, one of my frustrations is my existence in this platform. I cannot even write worth reading articles. Why do I say these, well I think it's obvious.
Today, I think I need to realign things a bit if not a lot. I think I have been looking at things the wrong way. With my existence in this platform, I think I had a rather wrong motivation and a crude way of using it. I apologize for that. I had to learn the hard way. I had to learn at the expense of my pride. Honestly, I thought I had to protect that pride because it is the only thing I have. Another mistake.
All these mistakes are giving me misery. They are stealing my joy and happiness. If you have a similar situation as mine, the next things I will say will also be for you. By the way, these ideas aren't from me. I had to learn them the hard way as I have mentioned earlier. Also, what I will be saying next will be from a Christian perspective so if you think that it will not be for you, you may stop reading.
*What is happiness?*
My colleague who is also a philosophy professor said in one of his lectures that if money can't buy happiness, why do we feel happy when we get to travel to places, eat in fancy restaurants, buy signature clothes and gadgets or simply sit at home thinking of a good amount in our bank accounts? "Like any other emotion, happiness is temporary but it is happiness nonetheless", he explained. Indeed it is. This was my case. I was trying to chase happiness. I thought of this platform as mainly income generating to the point that I get disappointed and questioned my abilities every time I write and I don't get significant upvotes from others. What then is happiness? I thought it to be something that could be brought by money and appreciation from other people but look what this definition lead me -- loss of joy, disappointment or simply SADNESS.
*What is the source of your happiness?*
This is in reality the better question. There is no point asking what is happiness. It is better to ask, where do we get our happiness or what induces our happiness. Let me put this simply. Happiness based on something temporary will also be temporary but happiness built on habits will be long-lasting.
A few weeks ago, I purchased some commodities that I meant to sell to make money. After selling some, I am now having a hard time disposing the rest. I am not supposed to be worried as they are not perishable goods but I am not happy either that I cannot get back my capital yet so I can make another purchase. Maybe I am being impatient but what is the point of doing a business if not to earn, I thought. Then again, I realized that I am doing everything the wrong way. I am losing patience and I would like things to be done in the easy way. In reality, that is not how it works. A farmer sows the seeds but does not harvest the next day. He has to labor each day before harvest but when that day comes, I bet he would be able to savor the success happier because he knows that all those efforts paid off.
I would be a happier person if I looked at how I communicated with other people, told my stories and listened to theirs while selling my commodities as a source of my happiness. In fact, while chatting with them, I felt that I was trying to educate them and they were able to open themselves up. They learned from me and I too from them. They did not buy anything from me and that is sad but since we had great chats, they just might in the future. Who knows? After all, spending these days is not easy.
*Other things to think about*
>> Don't look for happiness. Create it!
Why not? Why do we have to find happiness elsewhere anyway when we could actually create one?
Cinderella Syndrome coined by Agatha Christie in a murder mystery novel is referred to a psychological condition in which a woman fears true independence and secretly expects a “knight in shining armor” to come along and take care of her. In her book, *The Cinderella Complex: Women’s Hidden Fear of Independence*, published in 1981, Dowling theorized that women traditionally are conditioned from birth to be dependent on others—particularly men—for their emotional and physical safety and security. This simply means that women suffering from this condition consider a man or the love of a man as the main source of happiness. Thus, when a man proves otherwise, the woman losses her happiness and craves for some from other men. Sad, right?
>>Happiness isn't a goal
In fact, it comes from our habits and habits by definition are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously. This means that when we create happiness and we make it a habit, our happiness will be long lasting.
Here are some habits of happiness:
Be grateful. When we tend to be thankful for anything or anyone, there would be lesser frustrations; thus, resulting to more happiness. The book of Philippians 1:3 says, "Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God."
Pray with joy. I think praying is one but praying with joy is another. We pray then we let God do the rest. Why? We have limitation. He doesn't. One may say, I don't believe in God. I only believe in myself. Okay, but when things are beyond your control, what will you do?
Expect the best. Simply, be optimistic. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
I am grateful for this platform. I may have forgotten for a while my important reason in joining but now I am reminded. Readers may not find beauty, amazement or simply appreciation in what I write, I am not here to please anybody as each one has his/her own standard. Let me just be me--expressing myself and honing my skills. I pray with joy that in time, I would equal those great minds here. But if it won't happen, I am still going to learn from them. Finally, I will expect the best--maybe not to really earn precious BHC but be me expressing my thoughts.
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That Woman Who Bore Aristotle
*Before there was Aristotle, there was a woman,*
*Before Shakespeare, there was a woman,*
*Before Lincoln, there was a woman,*
*Before Bill Gates, there was a woman.*
*Before fame, there was a woman,*
*Before riches, there was a woman,*
*Before invention, there was a woman,*
*before humanity, there was a woman.*
*-cpilosopotasya-*
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Because it is mothers' month and the birth month of my mother, I will talk about her today.
She is a woman of no education. I mean zero. According to her, she had no motivation to go to school because schooling especially for a woman like her is a luxury as she came from an impoverished family in a remote village in the mountains. As a result, she neither can read nor write. I have always pitied her for that but it didn't trouble her at all (at least so I thought).
She is also a woman whom I saw as a child full of anger and hatred in life. There was never a day when I didn't see her mad at many things. At least there is one that pumps her blood so high in a day. Most days, I would see her nag at my father for reasons I really don't understand.
My dad on the other hand is the most kind hearted and soft spoken man I have ever seen in my entire life. The more I see my dad, the more that I saw the flaws of her. As I child, I remember fearing her a lot and not liking her at all.
There were even times when I would run away from home to escape her wrath towards me, my siblings and mostly to my father. I have nowhere to go anyway so in the end, I would just go home. Sometimes, when the fighting starts, I would carry my younger siblings and take them out so they won't be listening to all the commotions inside the house.
As a child, I never saw the reason for her to show all those painful stuff to my younger siblings and I hated her so much for that. There was also a time when she bought a bottle of San Miguel and started drinking and smoking inside the house. I remember myself crying and begging her to stop because my sister was a baby and is still being nursed. How could she feed my sister when she is full of alcohol. I don't remember if my begging worked then. What I am certain is that I can still feel the pain I felt then while I am writing this.
What have we done to deserve all these? Maybe she had problems but I don't really see the reason as to why she had to do what she did. I can only cry out to the Lord and beg to let her stop. My belief in God was my only solace then. It kept me going I'm sure of that.
Words are not enough to describe all those terrible things I saw from her while growing up. I had the worst life and the worst mother then so I thought. If I will narrate all those things which I thought are really terrible about her, my list won't end. So let me stop here.
I am now a mother and I wonder what kind of mother am I to my children. Would they be saying things like those I mentioned earlier? or Do I want them to say good things that will show that I am not like my mother? I worry a lot about, "The apple doesn't fall from the tree". Who would want to be like my mother?
However, I think the real problem here is not really my mother. It is me. As to why is that, let me explain.
A few years back, I had a chat with Anti Penny, a neighbor who was more of a mother to me when I was young. She didn't have daughters so she would always borrow me from my mom and bring me anywhere she goes whether the church or the cinema. I loved her more than my mother then. While we were chatting, we talked about my mom's condition as she was diagnosed of cervical cancer and had to undergo a series of chemo and brachy therapy and eventually a surgery.
Anti Penny told me things I never thought of before as I was so blinded by those haunting experiences coupled with anger and resentment towards my mother. She started of by saying that I am very lucky to have a mother like her because despite her being illiterate, she still manages to do a lot of things for the family. She continued that my mother is a very strong woman and she admired her for that. I can only look at her expressionlessly because I never thought anyone from our small community would think that towards my mother.
Our house was built with cheap wood and recycled galvanized iron sheets with small holes so I am pretty sure that with the loudness of my mom's voice, I whole community knows her story.
As I parted ways with Anti Penny, I thought of many things.
My father worked as a miner in a very good company. They are paid weekly so Saturdays are the happiest days of the week. Children like me would wait outside the mining office for our fathers to come out with their envelopes full of cash. My dad would buy something for me and let me go home on my own with a whole dressed chicken or a kilo of beef or pork then he would go to his friends and drink and come home the next day. I am pretty sure of this but I never saw it as a problem. I thought that he did his job and he deserves a break from work. Maybe, I thought why could my mom not understand that? Is she not happy that we can enjoy a whole chicken or beef or pork? Can she not be contented with that.
I realized that my mom just like any young mother with small children and a husband who prioritizes his friends over his family would really feel disappointed. We weren't rich. We only enjoyed good food on my dad's salary day. The next day, we are poor as rats as there is no more money left to buy food because he spent most of his money to alcohol, cigars and even gambling. But my dad was not that bad. When his third child was born, he totally abandoned all his vices.
The fights did not stop anyhow. It even became more terrible. My dad became jobless in 1990 after the big earthquake that struck our region when the mines had to declare the retrenchment of employees. The mines eventually stopped its operations.
For us to survive, we were 4 children then, my father had to engage in small scale mining which was illegal then as the mining corporation is still claiming ownership of the mining site. Small scale mining was very difficult that time. Consequently, my mother had to do something. She cannot be weak at this time because she has four children to feed. Thus, she started with farming. She planted corn, peanuts and many more. While waiting for harvest, she would clean houses and do the laundry of other people to get paid. Then she applied as a carrot washer in a vegetable section in a nearby town. She would take the first trip in the morning (4:00 AM) to go to work then commute at about 8:00 in the evening to go home. she had that routine for years but she never got tired.
Before she was diagnosed of cancer, she worked as a lady miner like most women in the locality. Their job is to wait outside the tunnels of the small scale mines (legal during that time) and take those gold ores that the miners meant to throw away as they don't have gold in them so they believe. The women would pound the ores and process them like how gold is processed and luckily get some gold.
Now, if I will continue telling you more about the sacrifices she made, is making and is willing to make, I would never stop. Those things I never understood were now clear to me. If there is one thing wrong about my mother, she loved her family so dearly that she was willing to do anything for them even if her children won't see her to be a hero. For her, she just had to do what she can no matter what other people thought of her. At present, I am just happy that she has recovered from cancer and I will be celebrating her 60th birthday in a few days.
As for my father, he remained soft-hearted and kind--perhaps the kindest because he is still trying his best to put up with the mood swings of his better half. He may not be the best in providing for the family but he was able to let us, his children, feel the warmth of love and care which our mother may have failed to give.
My parent aren't perfect in so many ways but they are perfect for each other. For that, I am forever grateful to them.
Let us bring my mother back to the spotlight and let me end with the continuation of the poem above.
*You know Aristotle but that not that woman,*
*You know Shakespeare but not that woman,*
*You know Lincoln but not that woman,*
*You know Bill Gates but not that woman,*
*You may know me but not that woman,*
*But without that woman, there would be no me.*
--cpilosopotasya--
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Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: My Insights
Due to an upcoming speaking engagement, I am forced to read some books and articles. I plan to start by reading this first because the title seemed interesting: Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar.
Since I haven't read it yet so this article will just be my insights on some selected parts of the book. I am personally selecting stories and anecdotes used in the book and I will try my best to share my thoughts and hopefully, I would be able to give justice to each of them (I am really crossing my fingers).
By the way, I am not going to explain them based on how the book used them. The author of the book did it already. You may just read the book. What I will do is to analyze them out of the context used in the book.
Let's start!
**THE IMPOSSIBLE**
In this story, there were two impossible scenarios presented. One is the hunter shooting a bear with an umbrella and the other is the 90 year old man impregnating the 18 year old wife. But when can we really speak of the possibility of something? Then I remembered the fallacy, Appeal to Ignorance which says that it is not right to claim the truthfulness of something because no one has proven otherwise.
The 90 year old did not think it to be impossible for his 18 year old wife to be impregnated by him. Could it then be that the possibility or impossibility of something actually relies on the person looking at it?
*Lesson: I still believe that nothing is impossible. I don't know with you.*
**THE WISE**
Throughout history, man has been trying his best to find wisdom. Buddha for example bailed out of his riches to seek wisdom under a Bo tree. The twelve disciples of Jesus gave up their livelihood to follow Jesus and his wisdom. There are more of them if I go on.
This story reminds me of a movie I really love -- PK. It talks about how people can be fooled by others who claim to be wise and powerful. Sadly, religions according to the movie blinds people by the show of wisdom they offer to the people.
*Lesson*: *Be vigilant as many try to appear wise but they in fact are wolves ready to devour.*
**THE CHANGE**
They say, "There is nothing permanent except change". Indeed, in our society, each one is aiming for change --change of environment for people tired of a workplace or just working at home with this world situation; change of spouse or partner for those having a problem with their significant others; change in looks for those who think that they could look like those gorgeous men and women in the entertainment industry; or simply, change in...(up to you to fill in)
There is nothing wrong with change because we need it. We need to rectify our wrongs and be better humans. We need to change our style when they don't work. We need change in many ways.
*Lesson: Change is good but let us not let ourselves become unrecognizable.*
**THE UNNOTICED**
I really like this story.
Often in life, we don't give attention to things or people which or who do not leave something remarkable. But like the story, these petty things or people could actually be greater than we think.
That friend who seem to be the most unreliable may actually be the real friend. That rowdy student who seem not to be listening may actually be the one who can comprehend best. That timid one in the corner may in fact the most brilliant of them all. That writer in this platform not being noticed may actually be pouring his/her heart in his/her crafts. That reader reading this lousy article may actually be learning from it. This lousy article may actually be superb for the writer. It goes on and on...
*Lesson: The cliche, "Do not judge a book by its cover" may still actually work.*
**CONCLUSION**
The impossible, the wise, and the change could be things we just hope for but let us not waver for they could just be around the corner...unnoticed.
Glory to God!
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Special thanks goes to my sponsor: @FrieLincs
It does not matter...--Lesson from a snail
*"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop"* --Confucius
**THE SNAIL**
While I was tending to my plants this morning, I noticed a snail and I just thought of observing it. It chewed through the leaves of my pechay...slowly...then it walked away...slowly...
I thought, everything must be really slow in the world of this snail. It may have a lot of time to spare so it does its thing really slow. However, with its slow motion, it can still pester me as a plant owner (we are called plantitas in my country). Every morning for a week now, I notice a pechay lost in my tiny garden. Technically, the pechay garden is my sister's as her teacher required them to do some gardening at home. So for weeks now, she has been tending to her plants until this week when I had to do the job because she had to do other things.
This was when I noticed the decrease in number of the lovely growing pechay. Unfortunately, five or more would be gone in the morning. Then this morning, I found the culprit. It was a snail. I saw one today but there could be more in reality. In a week, my sister should be sending the final stage of her gardening activity which is supposed to be harvest time. I worry that she would not be able to show anything if the snails would not stop on having the pechay for their dinner in the next days.
**ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHERS**
Three notable oriental philosophers are Lao Tzu, Confucius and Buddha. In fact, from their wisdom emerged spiritual, religious and even political disciplines that millions of people still adhere to at present.
There is a story about these three philosophers tasting vinegar one day. Confucius found it sour like he found the world full of degenerate people. Buddha found it bitter much like how he found the world brimming with suffering. However, Lao Tzu found the vinegar sweet like how he sees the world with an underlying harmony despite the discord.
Although they see the world differently, taking things at a slow pace is what is common among them. They believe that something cannot be achieved out of haste. Lao Tzu believes that, "Nature does not hurry yet everything is accomplished" like the growing of a tree or the maturity of a baby.
Confucius on the other hand taught about bending gracefully like that of the grass with the wind. He thinks that bending is not a sign on weakness but in fact a gesture of humility. If the grass won't bend with the wind, it will definitely break.
Buddha taught his followers that we have to learn to manage our earthly desires as they are the causes of sufferings. He said that the only way to get rid of suffering is to get rid of desires. These desires would include our haste to achieve what we want even at the expense of others.
**LESSON FROM THE SNAIL**
As I looked at the snail doing its thing to my plants, I realized that the three philosophers were right. The snail did not make haste but it ate my pechay and I guess he enjoyed them.
There are many times in life when we try to become the master of time. Man somehow learned and still learning to do things the shortest way possible. This is very evident in many things people do nowadays from the instant foods we eat to the short cuts we take to beat the traffic and time itself.
Because of this desire that is burning in man to reach his goals instantly, he tends to forget to appreciate the things that come in between. We made communication at the tips of our fingers but we are not even sure if we indeed are communicating with each other. Are we? hmmm...
Also, as we try to compete with time, we also tend to compete with each other. As a result, we think that there a only one timeline for everyone. In reality, we have different timelines and there is no need to compete. One may have his first car and build his own house at the age of 20 while another may have them at 50 while still others may not have them at all in his lifetime. So what? Would there be a difference? That precious car obtained at 20 would be prehistoric after a few years as trends and upgrades also change as fast.
**MY TAKE AWAY**
From the snail, I have learned that there is nothing wrong when I take things slowly. Slowly but surely as they say. I don't mean to be lazy and unproductive but to constantly and gradually move forward. In God's own perfect time, I would be able smile and say, "Like that snail, I got my dinner and I even had it with much gusto".
Where did your idea of GOD come from?
In a few months, I will be giving a lecture on the claims and disputes about GOD. I am intentionally using all caps for GOD so as to mean the GOD that monotheistic religions believe in and so with the GODS in polytheism.
My task is to present philosophers' and groups of people's beliefs of GOD. Thus, I may be answering big questions like:
Is there really a GOD? If there is, is there only one? Many? Who is/are he/they? If GOD is not real, why do a lot of people believe in him or they? Is the belief in GOD any way beneficial to you and me?
Perhaps there would be more. I am not sure because I haven't done a lot of searching for this yet. Anyhow, I would like to talk about two different ways of using the word GOD. The word can be used as a title and as a proper name.
**GOD AS A PROPER NAME**
Here, GOD is used in reference to a specific individual or entity. It is just like the name Rodrigo Duterte. For us to know more about Rodrigo Duterte, we have to know him personally. In that case, we would be able to understand what he is like as a person. In the same manner, to know more of GOD in this sense, we have to acquire information about that specific individual to find out what GOD is like.
**GOD AS A TITLE**
As a title, GOD is referred to anybody or anything that assumes the title. The term President of the Philippines for example can be assumed by anybody elected by the people like Rodrigo Duterte. The president have given attributes and responsibilities whoever he/she would be. Thus, we can learn quite a lot about what GOD is or would be like simply by unpacking our concept of the role associated with the term ‘‘GOD’’ (Murray, M. & Rea, M., 2008)
With these two distinctions, we would be able to understand better the two ways by which monotheistic religions developed their ideas of GOD. Murray, M and Rea, M., 2008 called them as the *a posteriori* and the *a priori* ways. So technical? Yes, so I would like to simplify by using *‘experience’* and *‘analysis’*.
**EXPERIENCE**
People used their experience and began believing in GOD based on their assumed direct contact with the individual they refer to as GOD. Their concept is grounded on data coming from revealed texts, religious experiences, mediums or prophets, and the like. This is also like how we can come to know more of Rodrigo Duterte as an individual. We can meet him personally, listen to what people around him describe him, or analyze how the general media would impersonate him.
**ANALYSIS**
This way begins with the traits, features or a set of criteria that embody a GOD. Thus, believers would only call someone or something GOD if it/he meets the standard. This is the same as to how the country sets a qualification for a person to become a president and how he/she would do his/her roles as such.
**AUTHOR’S EXACT WORDS**
*There is some reason to think that these various starting points will not all converge on the same entity. A Pure Land Buddhist and a charismatic Protestant might both claim to have had repeated religious experiences of God. But the concepts of Amida Buddha and Jesus are vastly different and seem not to pick out the same thing. Furthermore, someone who thinks of God primarily as the greatest possible being might well arrive at a concept of God very different from what would be arrived at by someone taking as her guiding notion the idea that God is the entity that acts as the ground of morality. In the Western theistic tradition, the concept of God has arisen from a careful negotiation between these two methods. In many respects this dual approach makes perfectly good sense. It makes sense to think of the word ‘‘God’’ as a proper name since theists do think that there is some unique individual entity or person that they are acquainted with – through religious experience or revelation or the mediation of prophets, and so on. But it is also true that revelation or reason sometimes describes God as an entity that plays a certain role. So when the Hebrew Scriptures describe God as the creator, or when someone takes a ‘‘first cause’’ argument to show that the universe was brought into existence by something distinct from itself, we have reason to think that these two approaches are, or at least can be, converging on a description of the same thing.*
**MY CONCLUSION**
We see and understand GOD differently because of differing views and perspectives. Thus, there is a need for us to respect each other’s beliefs and not make that belief a reason for division but rather a unifying agent. At the end of the day, our beliefs in GOD although not in the same degree affects us alone and not other people.
A Reminiscence
Let me tell you something about myself.
I am a simple individual who is fond of simple things as my happiness are also grounded from simplicity. I grew up from a family with somewhat below average economic status so I always struggled to obtain what I like especially material things and even education.
**In high school**. On Saturdays and Sundays, I had to go with my mom to a vegetable section to wash and pack carrots for a vegetable dealer who would also pay me 100 pesos for a day's work. I was so underpaid because I was so young and I cannot do a lot compared to that of an adult. Well, that is how the boss justified my pay. My mom could not say anything. She had no choice and neither did I. We need to buy a kilo of rice and some banana (so rice won't be as plain) for our big family. My dad was displaced from his work in the mines that time so he cannot do much to support the family.
**In college.** I had to learn to earn a living and to live on my own most of the time. I remember working as a private tutor to some Korean children during my break time in school. My Korean bosses paid me weekly at 70 pesos per hour back then. The weekend was my favorite day as it is payday for me. I would be able to buy school supplies I need and keep some for 'miscellaneous' needs such as transportation fare, food among others.
**After college**. I was so blessed to be employed just after graduation (I was so lucky to attend despite the strong disagreement of my younger brother as attending the ceremony was regarded as a luxury). However while working, I had to support two (2) siblings who were both studying in college. I had to pay for a small room we are renting, both their school fees, our food and other things that need to be paid.
**Now**. I think I will leave the now for another time.
Despite all the austerity, I manage to enjoy life and be happy. I can say that life taught me simple joys of having a meal at least three times a day, being able to laugh at adversities and getting drunk with friends once in a while.
I am convinced that while I struggled for my family and myself, life taught me valuable lessons. As one Roman Stoic philosopher put it,
Life has taught me, is teaching and will teach me that as I live this difficult life, I will be resilient and find the joys of living it amidst its adversities.
--akoposipilosopotasya--
Image of Seneca the younger is from google.
@cpilosopotasya
