IT was shared and re-shared a week or two ago: a rant about not being called “Doctor” when one has worked so hard for a doctorate.
I can only shake my head at the Filipino-ness of such rant. How we love putting all those titles before our names and all those letters after and we feel good because of that. Some even feel superior because of these. Letters. Out there, people don’t care. Even Bill Gates is just Bill Gates.
I dug up my books and can’t find anything about earning titles as a necessity to live a full life. In fact, if you’re inclined that way, you put yourself into a lot of unnecessary stumbling blocks in achieving a liberating level of self-esteem. Something like: I didn’t graduate high school, I’m not worthy. I only finished an undergrad course, I’m not worthy. I can never be like her because she has a doctorate. I have to have a doctorate to be at par with my peers. Duh?
It was never even told if Jesus Christ was schooled and where... and among the 12 disciples, only Peter, Andrew, James, and John were identified by their former occupations — fishermen with no degrees... if you get my drift.
Your worth is in you and what you do with your life, not in the pieces of paper that certify who you are. Take it from somebody who got her diploma in BA in Communication on the same year she quit journalism. Did my not having a diploma stop me from excelling in the 33 years I was a journalist? No. I was just being and because of that, I did well.
Maybe, that was even an advantage. I didn’t have to live up to anything. There was just me with my third grade-perfected English (to this day I have Mrs Adelina Rex to thank) writing stories that I loved the most. The diploma nothing but an after-thought.
I had no baggage, nothing to parade with to an audience who don’t even care what course I finished, I had no reason to brag. All I had was just pure love for writing and storytelling... admittedly with a bit of haughtiness for those who have their diplomas, masters, doctorates but can’t even write without their ego on display. Nyahaha! I’m not a saint.
This does not mean children can just trash going to school. Don’t. Schools impart discipline and valuable learnings. What I’m saying is that let no piece of paper or person impose on you your true identity and worth. Even if you’re a wanted terrorist, the reward money for your arrest does not even approximate your true worth...
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