World-Class

         I've been longing to engage myself to spiritual journeys, or listening to influential people talk about experiences of themselves, or of people close to them, or just a stranger, or simply just relaying a story, or what they call as testimonials. I can relate to these testimonials. They make me do a lot of things: cry or get misty-eyed, laugh, smile, sigh, and most of all, think. They make me realize that I'm not the only person in the world, experiencing their hearts being crushed. I realized that I'm not the only one who has their soul wandering and confused. With that, those testimonials made me realize how blessed and loved I am despite of the negative things that's happening in my life. They made me grateful, which make me think of not committing suicide. 

          That's why, whenever someone invites for an event of this sort, I take it as God's instrument to take me to my learning. 

           I chanced upon listening to the second talk of Bro. Bo Sanchez at PICC last May 13, 2012.  He was a very influential man here in the Philippines for Christian values and enlightenment. His preliminary to his talk is about his personal experience. He shared to us one afternoon, when his family went to Tagaytay, I suppose, that's the Tagaytay Highlands. He said they went there to eat lunch. Yes, just to eat lunch, overlooking the majestic Taal Volcano and its lake. He keeps on telling the magnificence of the view and he termed it "world-class". But his punchline was that he compared the scenario to us, people. 

           He said, people NEVER see the magnificence of the Taal Volcano and its lake because it's just a bus away from us compared to say, if we go to Paris or London, or even in the Great Walls of China, which is an expensive plane ticket away from us. The problem is that we find it very difficult to appreciate what's in front of us. We keep on looking and looking far beyond what we can't reach. Of course, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Big Ben in London, and the Great Walls of China are world-class themselves. But, what Bo Sanchez is pointing out is that we tend to ignore what we already have, which is world-class in itself. Like, our mothers, whose been with us, very near us, no matter what. Like, our trusted friends, who stayed with us underneath it all. Honestly, I like his metaphor. But this time, it is not myself that I have in mind. I thought of my dear friend as the one who can relate to this anecdote. Unfortunately, that dear friend of mine was not there to listen to the words of Bo, and perhaps, be shaken. That dear friend kept on reaching for a star somewhere out there, I would say, or more appropriately, a shooting star. But, what that dear friend of mine, takes for granted are the many people around who in reality, make jokes, because they know laughter is the cheapest medicine of my dear friend. These people stayed by my dear friend's side, because they know the importance of strengthening my dear friend's support system in this crucial times. These people care and look after my dear friend's welfare. 


        That since, my dear friend is having a hard time reaching on that shooting star but still reaches for it, my dear friend is failing to notice how many stars actually surround my dear friend. I wonder when will be the time that this dear friend of mine will reach not for a shooting star but for an epiphany that would linger? I think, only time will tell.