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Friday, September 27, 2002
ESTREMERA: My ideal man
By Stella A. Estremera
COMMENTARY
Thursday last week, I met my ideal man but all I can do is heave a whimsical sigh like a teenage girl dreaming of her knight in shining armor when there is actually no one in sight.
Soft-spoken and very courteous, he easily shifted from Tagalog to Bisaya when he realized he could express himself better in Visayan. But he was very comfortable speaking in Tagalog, too, while addressing a roomful of participants in a national consultation. He was obviously well schooled. He exuded the aura of a leader and a strong character.
He has a mind of his own and has a ready smile and hug for his friends. He doesn’t hesitate to take on tasks thrown his way, whatever it is, and he dreams high; way above what normal people would think he could ever reach.
He also knows what it takes to reach for his dream. He knows this will take more than what he is doing now, but he is unperturbed.
In fact, he has been working toward this for years now, using brawn, braving the heat of the sun, carrying loads more than his weight could normally carry and sacrificing a lot to move on.
Life hasn’t been good to him, he admits. It also hasn’t been good to his people. But you wouldn’t know this if you just watch him from a distance with his ready smile flashing every once in a while. No bitterness, no dejection.
That smile, however, becomes whimsical when he talks of what he wants to be in the future. He dreams on and looks as if he’s going to make it, too.
But even as life hasn’t treated him so well, he unselfishly shares his dream with others. He has to, for he dreams of finally being in a position to help his people.
He admits greater challenges stand in his way, but he is not about to quit. He simply has to make it through blood, sweat and tears. With not even the bare necessities on hand, this is what it will take to make it through.
Last Thursday, I met my dream man. But there is one big problem there. My dream man isn’t a man yet.
He’s a 15-year-old child laborer. He has been since he was eight years old, working in a sugar cane plantation to help his family and send himself to school. Now, he is in third year high school and dreams of working on for a college degree in social work so he can go back to his community and help children like him.
(Stella Estremera writes for Sun.Star Davao)
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