Custodio: Notes from an Eternal Student to Another

Saturday, June 4, 2011

HERE I am not really having a particular thing I would like to talk about. I had wanted to talk about how much I miss going to school but thought, "Who loves paper and pens the way I do?" Yup, I love paper and pens. I can honestly say that they are my best cheap fix for melancholy. I remember being excited about buying school supplies. It didn't even matter to me that half the Philippine population decided to buy their school things the same time that I did. It was fun squishing through the loads of people in a rush to complete their requirements! It was the perfect opportunity for me to have that pencil case I've always wanted!

I remember being in line in school with my parents during enrolment. It has always been an event that I had always looked forward to since it was the perfect opportunity to see how other students' parents look like, not to mention how my crushes looked like in plain clothes! In a way it has also taught me patience (waiting can be really boring) and the importance of being able to keep yourself occupied (I bore easily). My parents imparted to me how valuable one's education was not only because it meant my future but also because it can be very expensive.

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Covering my books with plastic has always been one of my favourite pre-school activities. I would stack my books and notebooks after I had finished. Then I would run through the pages and smell the newly printed sheets! Paper has always evoked good memories as far as I am concerned. So does putting pencils, erasers and pens in my new pencil case. I had to figure out the correct arrangement that would accommodate everything I had inside it. You could say that it has become a ceremony through the years, my ode to school days of sort. :)

Most of the friends that I have kept through the years I've known since Kindergarten and grade school. I am still amazed when I look at old pictures and see how innocent we were then. When I see my grade school friends with their children who, more often than not, look like their parents I wonder if they inherited any of their mannerisms too. More than sharing many memorable moments, I learned from them the value of friendship and kindness; two things that I have always appreciated.

When I graduated from grade school, my father opted to send me to a public high school. It was weird and scary to be in an entirely different surrounding. We transferred from one classroom to another every subject. Wearing rubber shoes were better than leather ones because we had to walk through mud puddles and pools of water during rainy days. It was an entirely different world but the quality of education went beyond what was academic, it gave me a glimpse of the reality of life. It has shown me that people come from all walks of life and go through different experiences. Nevertheless, each one has the choice of educating one's self. In high school, I discovered my love for writing and it has brought me to different places and given me the opportunity to meet people who share in my passion. I realized the importance of loving what you do and that ambitions and dreams can find fruition if you follow it through.

College posed a lot of challenges for me; being away from family and staying at a dorm within the University. I learned to make my own decisions being fully aware that should there be any dire consequences for my actions, I only had myself to blame. And boy, did I learn that the hard way! The good thing about being left to "fend" for yourself is that you learn to find ways to make mistakes, right. By my sophomore year, I had become sort of a nerd...according to my college friends! I had suddenly grown into somebody who was not afraid to express her opinion and beliefs, much to the dismay (?) of my parents (sometimes). In the end, they would blame my alma mater for my 'changes'. Was I bothered? I wasn't. One thing I learned in college is that it is okay to be your own person. Sometimes, you do get into heated arguments with your family about certain ideologies that you develop but then, that is part of growing up. Later on in life I realized that I cannot please everybody and that no matter how sound your ideas may seem to you, there will always be others who will think otherwise. And that's okay. Just hope that both of you have learned the lesson about respecting each other's opinion.

I graduated filled with so much idealism and hope for my future. I felt I was ready and that the world was mine. Medical school was not easy and one thing that it taught me is responsibility. Armed with the information I learned, it was my responsibility to alleviate a patient's condition or at the least try to make their transition to the other life as comfortable as possible. It has taught me compassion and a much, much greater respect and awe in the Creator.

Now I am much older and a bit wiser but I believe there is much to learn about things. In my daily brush with challenges, I have come to realize that life is the greatest teacher of all. Life is the ultimate textbook from which you can learn survival as you forge on to live each day on this earth. Things may not always go the way you want them too but there is always a lesson to be learned that makes you better equipped to live another day. We are eternal students and everyday is an opportunity to learn as well as teach and inspire others by example. :)

Happy Sunday!!!