Growing Up

I remembered the days in my childhood like it was yesterday, when kids my age were going around and playing games. Going into friend's houses, running around like our energy seemed to be limitless. I was a pretty thin kid back then and I always was the athletic type. My mother told me, it was hard to feed me back then, cause I always run around, and was busy enough that I did not want to eat, almost as if playing had overtaken the value for nutrition. I remembered it quite vividly, that I became the gang's leader. (Gang in this sense, are kids who go out together, not some bad organization) I would tell every kid in school to join me and play in every place I thought was fun. Although some places may be dangerous, I always looked for the challenge. It led me to places like the west woods of the school, the mountain of broken chairs in the gymnasium, the huge sand hills from the renovation site of the school, and a lot more. It was pure adventure back then. With our minds constantly giving us a sense of direction through imagination, dreams, and possibilities. You can call it, my childhood glory day's. This gave way to unleash the leader inside of me, that would someday be essential for my future. It is not a secret, that I have been part of the Boy Scout Society. I have been presented with certificates and high remarks from my mentors. In my elementary years, I was part of tons of jamboree, which taught me the value of unity and independence. I have had my finest moments of courage, perseverance, and hard work. It taught me countless things that I bring forth to this very day. Things that would someday encourage me to become something great. All these aspects were requisites so I can become what I am, and that is, a person with dignity, honor, and excellence. In my high school days, I was skilled in most aspects of command, that I could command an entire crew as directly as anyone possibly could, either in fancy drill or plain context command. I was also a skilled fancy driller, that it took me to challenges where my skill could be flourished and learned. I was with discipline, focus, and control. With loyalty, determination, and perseverance, I ended up becoming the Boys Scout Movement "President". Being a President though is not what you get with skills alone, but rather, it is earned through respect, attitude, and character. It is in the team where success lies, all a commander can do is command, but nothing can be done without unity. My life growing up taught me the sense of leadership, empathy, and responsibility. A character trait of what I hope to be a requisite into becoming a champion.

A leader, a hero, and a Filipino: Rizal, who has influenced me

.....

The following post, are words from my reflection paper that I have made for my Rizal subject. I find the article so beautiful and pure, that I decided to post it in this blog. I also posted this in tribute for the Rizal Day, which is fast approaching on December 30th. Enjoy!

A leader, a hero, and a Filipino: Rizal, who has influenced me

In this life, there are moments where we ponder into the horizon. Thinking of a life, which we view as acceptable for our own. To live a life, that is understood as "a life worth living." In these instances, a life of a leader, is displayed with trials, hardships, and successes. Their lives aren't that of people who lives their life to the fullest. They are people, who use their very existence for the service of others. They are the guiding light, that people look up to. They help us go through with our lives and make it easier for us. They give us the direction, in a turbulent life, when the tough gets tougher, and when hope is seemingly deprived of us. These are leaders, people who sacrifices themselves, to continuously help others, in achieving a common goal.

The leader that I admire the most, is our national hero, Dr. José Rizal. Born Dr. José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, is a martyr of the Philippine Revolution. He was the founder of the civic organization "La liga Filipina", which inspired the revolution of the katipunan, including heroes, Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo. He may not be a warrior in the times of Spanish colonization, but he showed his love for our country, in a non violent approach. He protested against the Spanish crown, in the pursuit of equality and peace. He inspired the people, to live up to themselves, and give them a sense of self-respect, thus, giving them hope for a brighter future. These attributes, are enough for me, to rate him as a leader, and more importantly a hero.

Dr. José Rizal's remarkable characteristics or intelligences, amazes me, and inspires me to follow his footsteps, in helping him attain his dream, even in this century. Like Rizal, I wish to be an inspiration to others, in helping people, realize their dreams, by continuously making people believe in themselves. Rizal is very admirable with his linguistic skills, this also inspired me, to work more on my speech, writing, foreign language speaking, and translating. Rizal is a well-known phycist, and following his path, he has also played an important role in my life, in choosing the medical profession. Rizal, to me, is a person that I think, is worth emulating, for he has found it's way not only into the hearts of all Filipino's, but especially to the entire world.

His insights of life, has influenced me greatly, in terms of how I view life. He is a person with tremendous dedication to his work. He is a treasure of the Philippine islands, and most of his works are revered until this very age. He is a clear representation of a true Filipino. Similar to our day and age, like Rizal, most Filipino's have bloodlines of foreign heritage. Dr. José Rizal, is a true representation, of not only a leader, but a hero. I am proud to have Dr. José Rizal, as a part of our great Philippine Heroes. As a person, Jose Rizal, will remain as an example, of what a Filipino is all about, and that is, being optimistic, hospitable, proud, and most importantly, God-fearing.

Trivia: Rizal day is marked on the 30th of December, in tribute to the great Filipino hero. Rizal Day and my birth date are both coinciding on the same date.

Picture: A painting of the great Filipino hero, Dr. José Rizal.