When Selfishness Is The Last Resort

A week ago in my Euthenics class I conducted a team-building activity which I have gotten during the YMCA's Volunteers Training on July 25. I intended to measure the decision-making ability of my students that's why I decided to incorporate it in one of my classes.

The activity was called "Survival". The class was divided into four groups and each group is composed of 7-8 members. The goal was to choose 5 persons who will be saved from their sinking ship. I told my students not to make self-sacrifices for in real life when one faces an accident or emergency, the first person he would usually save is himself. Furthermore, I also instructed them that they have to be able to come up with a decision after 30 minutes.

I have expected that my students would think inside the box. Hence, the difficulty in settling up their minds. I knew that the thirty-minute time frame would be very short but I did it on purpose to stir their minds more. A dispute or argument was suppose to surface, fortunately my students were open-minded enough. Their only trouble was choosing the right persons to save. During the activity, one of the groups came to me and asked if it is okay if all of them in their team would be saved. I just reminded them of my instruction. No self-sacrifices. I then told the class that sometimes, it is fine to be selfish. One just have to be selfish in tough times in order to survive. I knew that some of them would not accord with my line of thinking but I did not bother. I just wanted to know how are they going to decide on it.

At the end of the activity, each group were able to name the people who were saved. After which, I asked one of them what was their method of choosing those people. One group had a voting, while the others chose the 5 persons according to their missions in life. I could have told my students that some of them still made self-sacrifices but did not elaborate on it instead disclosed the lesson of the activity.

Some of my students shared that they did not think of breaking the rules and that they were held between making the wrong decisions and the idea of self-sacrifices. I then related to my students that in life, when one is faced of making a very tough decision he must contemplate on it first. Thinking outside the box would not hurt nor thinking of oneself's welfare. I reiterated that sometimes it is okay to be selfish. One does not have to follow what others are saying. One does not have to conform with what the situation can give. Sometimes, one just have to be selfish by following what his heart is saying. If his heart is saying to save himself to save others then there is nothing wrong with defying what was given. Sometimes, when selfishness is the last resort, one must go with it in order to accomplish what needs to be accomplish. Lastly, I made an emphasis on the type of selfishness that I have been hinting to my students during the activity. The personal desire to help others in times of their need. The personal desire to make others happy. The personal desire to give one's life for the sake of others.

The Night Before Her Death

In my last blog, I have admitted that I was not really affected by the former President Aquino's death. Until now, I am still trying to figure why however I could not find the reason why.

When I heard that she was diagnosed with colon cancer I just felt nothing. I even get annoyed everytime I hear news about her. I mean, come on, she's on stage four and no matter how many prayers you are going to offer her I just don't think it would work.

I refused watching tv and read internet news update because I know the media will just be talking about her. The last time I got interested with current events was during Michael Jackson's death. I would really spend hours and hours on the internet just to be updated with MJ. But it is not the case with Mrs. Aquino.

31 July 2009 - My students and I were walking along McArthur Highway. When we reached Ateneo de Davao High School campus I noticed the yellow ribbons tied on the railings as well as on the streets. I have already known that those yellow ribbons indicate support and prayers for Mrs. Aquino. Reminded by the yellow ribbons I then shared to my students my points of view on Mrs. Aquino. I told them that I find prayers for Mrs. Aquino to be useless, if her time comes the she would die. The prayers would not be able to heal Mrs. Aquino. The prayers would not help Mrs. Aquino to recover.

The next day, at around 5 o'clock in the morning, I was already hearing Ted Failon on TV. I thought it was just a replay of news program; what's more absurd was I thought it was another tribute for Michael Jackson. But shock suddenly grasped me and I could not believe what I was hearing. So to make sure that the news was true, I checked abs-cbnnews.com and yahoo.com, after doing so my hesitations were all erased. Mrs. Aquino died at 76. I was surprised upon confirming it. I was just talking with my students regarding prayers for Aquino, and then after few hours she was already gone.

Anti-Filipino

No. I am not so affected. Should I feel guilty about it?

Shameful may be but I just cannot lie to myself. I have cried over the King of Pop but I could not cry, even a single tear, for the late Mrs. Corazon Aquino. Maybe it is because I could barely connect with her, unlike MJ whose music greatly influenced me. Aside from that, forgive me kababayans, maybe I am just not impressed with what she had done. Others may think of her as the icon for hope but I really don't.

Yes, it is true. She led the people power but it was not her who triggered it. It was her husband, who I admire greatly. She only came to surface after her husband's death. She had to, the people are calling her. Filipinos are melodramatic. Underdogs are greatly favored. And I guess that's what happened hence the enormous support for Mrs. Aquino during the 1986 Special Election.

But I am not saying that the People Power 1 was just a fad. I believe that the Filipinos were already at their pique and to let Mr. Marcos continue his term would be a suicide. It just so happen that Mrs. Aquino was the wife of the great Benigno Aquino, Jr. She was the perfect character to replace the dictator who was believed to be connected with her husband's death.

Well, anyway, perhaps I am just one of the few who was not pleased by Mrs. Aquino but this does not necessarily mean that I see Mrs. Aquino as an inefficient president. I understand that her term as president was the most painful and difficult of all as hers was the transition period for the Filipinos. Despite the coup attempts and crisis she encountered the Philippine government was still able to survive.

Stolen and Returned

Thud!

Scream!

Distracted by the noise created by Ate Mimi outside the room, we really did not deem it as something alarming until Ate Joy insisted that something was going wrong outside.

Another scream.

Ate Joy then opened the door of the office as she rushed to Ate Mimi. Annie and I were both stunned when we saw that my laptop was no longer at the table. Kuya Fritz dashed out of the store to ran after the thief. Nakata folIowed.

I approached the table where my laptop was set. My heart was pounding hard and fast. Slowly by slowly, I could no longer distinguish what I was feeling. It seemed that my emotions left me out of nowhere. I was smiling but my head was confused. I was already aware that my laptop was stolen but I was still asking myself, "What happened?"

Oblivious of the people around me, my thoughts were all at the laptop. Hoping, praying that it will be recovered. I tried to cling to my intuitions but reality would keep on interrupting reminding me to prepare myself for the big possibility that it will never be returned to me. And my heart keeps on pounding hard and fast. My breathing then must have become abnormal but I really could not say. The thief might have stolen my emotions as well.

I must have been dazed for 20 minutes or so and I can say that that was the longest 20 minutes I ever had.

My senses only came back to me when I remembered that I have a deadline to meet on Wednesday. I have no other copies of my course outlines and Miss Jonalyn already informed us that the course outlines will be due on the 5th of August. Aside from that, I realized that I don't have a backup of my files. I felt doomed and I felt like crying. "So what am I going to do now?" Another question I could not answer.

Moments later I saw Nakata coming in the store. "Kapoy..." he uttered in his own way. After that Kuya Fritz followed on and then Jay-ar. My world stopped for a second. My breath almost ran out. Annie smiled at me then rubbed my back. I was relieved. Kuya Fritz placed the laptop on the table. I did not touch it at first. I only stared. He then showed me the scratches it incurred. The top cover as well as the front rear had blotches. According to Jay-ar, the thief threw the laptop on the street that is why they were able to retrieve my computer. However, they were not able to catch the thief. He was breathing heavily while relating the chase. Jay-ar added that the laptop jolted twice before it fell on the ground. Kuya Fritz then check if the laptop can still run. I sighed with relief as I heard it's welcome sound. Then I began checking the LCD screen. Thank God it did not sustain any damage. However, the lock was broken. Annie said it is better than the whole computer. I said "Yeah. Right."

Kuya Fritz and the rest of the group were then talking about what happened while I just sat and leaned on the wall. Annie kept asking if I was okay and I just told her that I am. I had the laptop back, that is the most important.