I wonder why people take walks in times of different situations. I wonder why people take walks when they are face with different decisions to make. I ask myself, how can simple walks changes one’s whole perspectives? I found the answer earlier today.
It’s a routine I take almost every day. My walk to and from school are mostly uneventful. I walk the familiar paved cement, see the same tree and cross the road at exactly the same spot. But today was different. Something caught my attention that reminded me of simple things that made me smile and yet made me think of some true and depressing things.
As I was walking in the same path I take every day from school, I saw a father and a child a few steps ahead of me. The little one was a little frenzied, running and then stopping to wait for his father catching up on him. His father, taking precautions because of the road, ran restlessly to stop his child from getting near the road. While the father was trying to catch up with his little one, one of his slippers broke away from his foot. I looked away and slowed my speed of walking, knowing what just happened. I took the courage to look in front of me. By this time, the father had his red slipper in his hand, trying to fix it. His child ran back at him and was now paying attention attentively to what his father was doing. I thought about the slipper, it might be the only one he had. I caught my breath and said “Please Lord.” It’s as if he heard me, the father put the red slipper down and slip his foot on it. I didn’t saw it but he must have smiled as he brushed his son’s hair.
For a moment, I was in the real world, that this is what’s happening out there. Beyond the gates and borders of my school, there was a world, an unfair one. I hate to face it but I had to someday and I fear that someday is coming nearer. There are people out there who continuously work hard for their family and yet you see no progress. There are people out there who studies at the evening and work in the morning just to gain enough knowledge. There are people out there who soak theirselves with their sweats and yet get the most menial salary.
Suddenly, I remember another father and child scene while I was riding a jeepney, this time, it was a daughter. I was riding the jeepney, with my headphones on and minding my own business when there directly in front of me was a father brushing her maybe seven year old daughter. Her daughter looked up on his father and kissed him on the cheeks and his father smiled so heavenly. I smiled and I thought of my father. Stuck in traffic, I continuously observed the father and daughter, the father was lecturing about the importance of education to the child. Suddenly, the child points out of the jeepney window and said, “look at the car dad, it’s so pretty,” her father smiled. He kissed her hair as he said in our dialect, “Someday when daddy has worked enough and he has money, I’ll buy that car so we won’t have to ride a jeepney.” I didn’t want to hear anymore. I turned the volume high on my mp3 player and loud booming music disturbed my ear drums.
I didn’t want to hear a father’s dream for his daughter, for his family and for himself. I didn’t want to hear because it pains me to know that these situations are actually happening. Most of all, I didn’t want to hear because it reminds me of what I have and what others don’t have.
I was back to the father and son and I walked really fast so I can be in front of them. I didn’t want to see any of these things anymore. These things remind me of a dream I had, that one day, our country will finally stand up and I’ll see progress in it. I dreamt of hope, but that was when I was young, when I was naïve and ignorant. I dreamt of our country to finally exhaust what it has instead of relying to other countries.
We claim to be an agricultural country, and yet we import our very own rice? We claim that we have the abundant natural resources in the world, and yet we let multi-national companies mine them in our very own land? We claim we have the most hardworking people, and yet we let them work to different countries? I do not blame the OFWs whose only want is to put food on their family’s plate and let their children be educated. I do not blame the multi-national company for abusing our land because our government actually lets them. So who to put the blame on? The government filled with corrupt, money hungry people? The Filipino people who can’t get enough of their crab mentality disorders? Who to blame? I don’t know.
I dream and I dreamt. The two fathers I saw are not just fathers; they are the Juan de la Cruz who vigorously dream of someday getting away from their slum neighborhoods. This is the real world I am going to be a part of someday. I’ll be one of them. It pains me to know that these things are really happening.
I know now why people take walks, it’s because they see simple things differently. Walks, they let you realize some things you’ve always seen but never really actually put on a thought to it. I never appreciated the old man who badgers me every time I walked passed by his stall of fish ball and tempura, begging me to buy one. I never appreciated the lady asking me to buy her fresh green mangoes. I never appreciated the old lady with her crutches on, selling me packed food.
There were things I really didn’t mind and didn’t appreciate, until now.
Someday, when I am able to reach my dreams, I will help the people who truly deserve it.
