From Vanessa ---( On the speech of Mikaela Irene Fudolig )
OHHHHH!!!! I love this speech.Very inspiring speech out of creativity.Yes!!indeed.we must build new roads -not just taking the road most traveled. Reading it , I must admit a guilty feeling lurking behind my mind.Something must be done with the country , barrio or hometown we left behind.Thank you so much for this food for thought.--I still remember the Jimenez speech in UP last year posted at Pangasinan.org -In a gist--Be first on the mind of the person-.It made a big impact on me.
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From Longwaybye
Vic, in your situation, it was the right thing to do. You wouldnt want it the other way, which is doing what you want to the detriment of your dependents.
In my case, it was different. It was a sort of protest against the...insanity of this world. As time went by, it became less of a protest, more of personal truthfulness. In my desire to be true, I endured society's judgment. During those times, there were days I almost gave in and thought yes maybe I was a failure, stupid and a loser.
For all the riches I could have accumulated if I stayed abroad, for the Beemers my contemporaries proudly drive, for their resorts worth millions, for the nice houses and the carribean cruises I too could have easily gotten by virtue of the relatively high wages of my profession, i wouldnt trade the choice I made.
But it wasnt easy. Sometimes I'd hesitate attending reunions because I would be the odd man out: read as poor man out. And while they end the gathering with their SUV's flashing into the night, Id go catch a tricycle and bargain for the fare, since there'd be no more jeepneys plying the route.
Time has proven me right, because in this old age, I couldnt see anymore the value of car, mansion and resorts. What matters is: did I enjoy my life, would I have wanted it the other way? With my coffee and cheap tabaco embering, I can say it was worth it.
Comment from longwaybye - 02/05/07 6:17 PM
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1 comment:
To Longwaybye:
What is a perfect life? I guess there are as many definitions as there are individuals. And if success is something measurable, then there is no such thing as a standard yardstick for it. At the most, we have a pseudo norm imposed by society’s expectation and definition of success and failure, often in materialistic terms. But everything is relative and time and again we yearn for the opposites of what we have. How frequently we heard of rich people dreaming of simpler lives, or of commoners wishing to belong to the royals?
When all things, good and bad are added up and taken into account, what really matters is not the gross but the net - the bottomline : Are you truly happy? If you are at peace with yourself in saying yes to this question, then no matter what others say, you truly are a success. On this basis, both the tricycle rider and the SUV flaunter could attend school reunions on equal terms… But often, those who had the guts to follow their hearts end up the real winners.
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