Tik! Tak! Tik! Tak!, the clock alarmed. I stretched my body from by med and start to open my eyes to the bright shine of the morning sun. It was already seven o’clock. I went to my study table and saw accidentally the tiny amulet given by my friend to me. Looking to this simple but very special remembrance, I remember him, his admirable and challenging life and his peculiar personality in facing problems.Yes, his life is full of ups and downs like an ordinary person that live with full of environmental responsibility to adjust with. Through his life story I used to create a wrong conclusion in my inquisitive mind basing it in nowadays situation. Until in conclusion, I found myself in despair and myriad of environmental concerns and issues.
Sometimes I feel numb of thinking such issues that discourage me to live in this seemingly very influential civilization. Many of out-of-school youths are now engaging in drug addictions, committing heinous crimes, practicing pre-marital sex and other vices that just proved their sense of immorality. But this entire act leads me to surrender and accept that it is only a part of the life of people in the new generation. subsequently, transforming my expectation because of someone who proved that in mistakes we have done, there is time to renew and find ways to ameliorate the quality of this God given gift; life.
Let me share to you a little bit about myself for you to understand the way I think and perceive life.To start with, I do consider that time has a big part in renewing and realizing the juvenile behavior and decision of every person. As changes need time and that is how time affects life’s perception.As I valued the existence of time and every moment I lived in this world, I treated it as my last hour so as to give my best to do things and grab opportunities that I have encountered. I do believe that the presence of learning really exists through interacting to other people. That was what I really wanted to experience. I’m fond of knowing people and befriend of them. In every journey, I encountered different persons with different personalities and that I personally expect and hope.
There was a time in the way of my ride; I’ve meet a young man, named John; he was actually my ideal person in handling and taking life into its fullest. Competent I should say. Simple, natural and I could say he has different standard of living compared to what I have had. Still he is adjusting the new environment where he entered. He is my same age and some his interests are my interests too. We became friends. In school we both performed well in our studies not to the point that we were the brightest but we attain beyond our expectation.
As time goes by, many disastrous experiences and joyous moment we’ve shared. I gave my full trust to him but I’m not sure about the trust he indulged to me. But the only thing I can assure of is the bond of our friendship. He is not expressive particularly in saying his problems but as time passes by I’ve known him little by little.
He is known of being weird, living with his own world, already lost in the trip of his generation or a late bloomer and expected to be an old bachelor. Of this anticipation, which he considered that he was underestimated; this was the impetus that pursued him to attest to everyone that they have a big mistake.
Letting himself explore the world of vices, he used to be with his other friends outside the school that he did not really know after all. They taught him and oriented him of the worldly things. He engaged in smoking. First, only a stick, after awhile it became two sticks and so forth. Then he pursued to drink liquors. It started with a single shot followed with a bottle until he found himself enjoying and satisfied in such things. He treated these vices a routine. Now he has an active nightlife. Every night his presence was acknowledged in different carousals and bars. He became indolent with regards to his studies and he preferred to believe “bahala na”.
He did all these things to ascertain the real world where he belongs. He wanted to endow his innocent mind with experiences. Also to devour the insights of his fellow that he was unfamiliar of the worldly things - as he wanted to be “in” with the society. Furthermore, he wants to prove that he really possesses an extraordinary trait in adjusting in the modern culture of today’s youngster which he wants to be a part of. Unknowingly his attitude and personality have changed.
Knowing such act of madness, I wanted to ask him, to contemplate with his reasons. It was not already an act of enjoyment which happened socially because I observed he did it almost every night. I am not against of his enjoyment but I thought it was over because he already disregarded his studies. As his friend, believing that he has intelligence and has a big responsibility to reach his goal in life not only for himself but for his family as well, I decided that I must be involved. Involve by showing to him that the influences that he adapted was considered as conspicuously evil that leads to dump his good fortune. But he refused to talk about his actions, his enjoyment as he said.
First, a clandestine that we both hide to anyone of our friends. But as time goes by, his activities were revealed. The news spread throughout the campus. His close friends and persons surround him getting worry of his attitude. Many false accusations and different conclusion created and became the topic of any conversation of his friends. These friends of him, expected him as a good and ideal person, responsible, hardworking and has perseverance in facing life’s trials which the characteristics best describes his personality. They were discouraged. Others looked at him dirty.
At that time, I am cynic in the scenario that my friend involved in the situation that may trigger to another evil action in order to solve his problem. But before that it would happened, I took an action. I did not criticize him at the second time, I approached him bluntly so as to show to him how his action affect his behavior and to the persons who surrounded him.
I know at that time, he needs solace from the disappointments and grieves that he felt in the rumors and how other people and his friends treated him. I used to give my sympathy on him.
Out of despondency, he used to talk, talk and talk. I did not want to encumber him to be cautious of his actions and words to portray. Because I knew at that time he is in the middle of his emotions free from pressure and secluded horizon in the high standard of society. Through his revelation, I was amazed of all those things he uttered. At first, I did not want to believe in the words coming from his mouth but he kept it repeatedly and it instill in my mind that it is really true. This is the first time he confessed all things which happened to his life. I never saw him crying but I felt the regrets in his gestures of what he did to his life.
Just letting myself be open minded, with arms open and two ears to listen, I found an answer. Answer, that comes from his prudence and not in my own words and propositions.
At the end of our conversation, he stated promises to change and to be a person whom I have known before and to finish his studies. Considering that, not just in a click he would change in good but he changed little by little. Now, with amplix and with greatness of soul, he keeps on smiling and laughing in real sense of happiness with his real friends.
This story is not aimed to tell you a life story but to share life and to show the real picture of modern culture of today’s generation. A culture that is trying to break our lives by the given sets of standard. The standard of being “in” like having such vices and active nightlife are requirements for us to belong in the present grouping of the youngsters. Yes, it really happened and it is rampant nowadays. Like what had happened to my friend, his dreads to be rejected, directed him to do wickedness. So it is our prerogative which way we will follow. We should be polarized in our decision, knowing its advantages and disadvantages with cognizance to the result of such actions. We should be blind by this environmental concern. I believe that you know that in some ways and in some cases that you did it likewise. But it is not too late to change. You have enough time and you can start now. Can you?
