Give the Day a Chance to Start

Friday, February 17, 2006

Pleasant surprise

Today, my colleagues and I volunteered to facilitate discussion groups in a leadership seminar. Because the main participants were the top students among this year's batch of graduating college students, I knew I'd be mingling with the cream of the crop of this nation's youth. It was an exciting thought because I knew it'd remind me of my college days, but I was a little hesitant on going to the event since the purpose (or should I say "alterior motive") for volunteering was to "advertise" our company to these kids who would soon be looking for jobs in the near future. I hated the idea of being there for recruitment purposes because it obviously wasn't the venue for it. The event was organized to enrich the young people's minds and encourage them to dream big for this country. While there was nothing wrong with wanting to tap into that possible source for applicants for our company, doing so in such a place and at such a time was hardly appropriate. However, it was my job, so I attended anyway ever so reluctantly.

But so much for all that complaining because I left the function with so much more than I'd expected to get. Sure, I didn't actually get to recruit much, it being such an activity-packed event, but I did bring home something of more worth--something for me and at such a time as this.

I'd been recently feeling extremely disillusioned at the way of life most of us Filipinos have to put up with in this country. You work your butt off and pay the proper taxes, but you don't see where it all goes (well, sometimes you see it in the luxury cars government officials cruise around the city in). You try to follow all the rules and regulations only to see people getting away with wanton disobedience to authority. You look for ways to contribute to society, but find that there aren't enough accessible opportunities to do so (or maybe I'm just not looking hard enough). Basically, what I'm saying is that I've had such a negative attitude about the Philippines that I'd actually begun to entertain the thought of ultimately leaving and just settling in a "better" one. As if it were as simple as that! After hearing the speakers in that seminar, I almost felt ashamed to have thought that moving to another country were as easy as changing a pair of smelly socks for fresher ones.

One of the speakers in particular, an Englishman, actually chose to live here in the Philippines despite his having had EVERYTHING he needed/wanted when he still lived in England as a twenty-something billionaire. According to him, it was here in this country that he found a future, a purpose, and a promise that a nation could still be built and picked up out of poverty and lifted to prosperity. He's now involved in one of the most prolific charity movements in the land. I couldn't but admire him for choosing this path. The point there is that he had a choice, and yet he chose to stay.

I won't go judging those who do choose to find a better future abroad. That's their own personal conviction, and no one can fault them for that. All I'm saying is that I'M beginning to rethink MY purpose. It's between me and God.

So, after hearing all those speeches, seeing all these bright young men and women still have so much hope for the Philippines, and remembering how pessimistic I've been, I can't help feeling ashamed of myself. But all the more am I challenged to dream big and continue hoping despite the bleak state the country is in.

Enlightenment, which brought about a release from this burden I'd been carrying was a pleasant surprise from an event I didn't expect to get much out of. See? I'd been uncharacteristically cynical. But I hope things will start looking up from here on end.