THE workshop crew handed me a disposable cup to drink water from. I kept this by my side the whole day using and re-using it.
As we were preparing to head off to our sleeping quarters I proudly showed Kublai my disposable cup saying, “I don’t know about you guys, but I have a cup to use for our wine tonight.”
He pulled out something from his pants pocket and showed a blue plastic cup. Grinning, because he secured the better one.
I still kept my cup, and placed this inside my bag when I saw that there were plastic cups in our quarters.
The following day, I brought my cup out again as we resumed the workshop.
Several minutes later, Kublai, looking sheepish, approached.
“Do you still have your cup? I need to drink water and there’s no cup.”
I flashed a huge victorious grin. It’s not about the quality of the cup you have, it’s your foresight to keep a cup in hand. Just because they are disposable doesn’t mean you will throw them away after one use. Also, always remember: when you are in poor places, even cups are scarce. Make sure you hold on to what’s given when you forgot to bring your own.
The day before, as we gathered to start on our journey, the youngest in the group came an hour late. Youngest is relative. He is already a full adult and not a child. It’s just that we’re beyond student age. Simply said, he is already fully formed: in physique and in values (if he ever was taught one).
His ready excuse was that he came all the way from Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, where he lives.
I snapped back: Distance is never an excuse. It’s not as if you do not know where you were coming from. You should have started out at dawn to make it to our 10 a.m. departure time.
There are things we call practices, our daily thing, or what we trained ourselves to do such that these become automatic actions. From keeping a plastic cup knowing there is scarcity of resources to waking up earlier than usual so that you do not waste the time of other people.
At the bottom of it all is mindfulness. In waking up and heading out early because you live far away, you are mindful of other people’s time: both of your companions and those waiting for the group.
In keeping a cup handy, you are mindful of the limited resources of your host and your need to drink water throughout the day.