While I was sitting at a corner table in a fastfood restaurant, a young boy wearing his school uniform and ID approached me. I was startled at first because he came out of nowhere. Maybe I was too focused on my meal that I did not notice him. He introduced himself, and said that he was selling ballpens with rolled calendars inside to augment their family income to sustain his studies in the next semester.
He showed me a ballpen and pulled out the rolled calendar sheet inside it. It was my first time to see such a ballpen, and I appreciated the creativity. He was selling it at P100 for two pieces.
In my mind, I could not help but analyze if the amount was reasonable or overpriced. But one thing that struck me was his boldness to approach and talk to the people eating in the restaurant just to sell those items.
It can’t be easy talking to strangers, and trying to convince them to buy his items. In fact, some of the people brushed him away without even listening to what he had to say. Ang sakit tingnan.
I saw in him the unwavering spirit and the courage to ignore what other people might have to say. He was very young, and he was able to maintain that smiling face in front of the people.
Then, memories of my college days flashed back – the situation of trying to make the best out of meager resources just to be able to finish school.
Through a scholarship grant, I was able to pursue my college education. Still, I worked as a student assistant during my vacant hours.
From then, I learned to value hard work, time management, perseverance, commitment, and patience.
Juggling between studies and being a student assistant was never easy. I always tried my best to study all the subject matters at night because I knew I would not have much time to study and review at day time because I had work to do in the office.
Those were only part and parcel of my sacrifices and journey in my way of chasing my dreams. All of them were rooted on two things — my utmost desire to help my parents in sending me to school, and the aspiration to give my family a comfortable life in the future.
That young enterpreneur’s intention of helping his parents was noble. Not everyone with the same situation would have the courage to sell items for a living. Indeed, it is an honest way of earning money. That gesture he showed was a reflection of how sincere and determined he was to augment his family’s income. The mere talking to strangers with ballpens on his calloused hands was a manifestation of inner strength and acceptance that he needs help and thus, he was helping himself and his family reach their dreams.
With all the crises our nation is in, I hope everyone gets to realize that education remains to be the greatest social equalizer. With education, individuals are empowered and given the chance to rise above their struggles and uplift their families. It becomes a beautiful cascade when an older sibling is able to graduate and find a stable job, and then he gets to send his younger siblings to school. Isn’t it a beautiful metamorphosis of a Filipino family?
For it is when every Filipino family gets the chance of improving their quality of life that will also lead to real nation building. The progress as a nation always begins as a mustard seed nestled and nurtured in the basic unit of society — the family.
I salute all students who are working really hard to reach their dreams and help their parents along the way.
I would also like to express my gratitude to my family, my benefactors, the kind people who helped me along the way and our Creator who places everything in the right place in His appointed time. It is because success of one is the product of the sacrifices and prayers of many. It is a phenomenon fermented through time and carved with your hands and talents.
Topnotch inspirational speaker and columnist Francis J. Kong in his recent product commercial revealed a very beautiful line: Humble beginnings and a difficult past are blessings in the making.
Indeed, life may be very difficult, dreams can be blurry, but when everyone says that it is impossible to reach your dreams, take a pause and think twice, thrice, and more because nothing is impossible with hard work and prayers.
What is the ending of my story, by the way? WelI, I bought two ballpens with a smiling heart. Astig na may calendar sa loob for 2016 and 2017. It may be quite expensive but I am sure it will go a long way in helping a boy become an accomplished man in the future.
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Author’s email: [email protected]