My Blog

like any other student, i was a bit skeptical about the ideals inculcated to us by our teachers.  for instance, i can still vividly remember how in one of my christian ethics class, our teacher told us that people, by nature, are good.  i wouldn’t have much trouble believing that one if i could not hear the news on the radio or see the gory pictures on tv.  i see too many murders, i hear too many scandals, and i hear about the shameless looting of funds by government officials.  these are enough reasons to lose faith on the goodness of people.  my perception of life is seemingly validated: this is a dog-eat-dog world, and if people want goodness, they may want to crossover to the next life, the eternal life.  i was so sold out about this idea until i learned about the touching experiences of my cousin.

it was a damp morning when my cousin liezl arrived in dumaguete.  after two years, my cousin is back in the city to finish her studies.  my cousin felt like a stranger to the city having been gone away for two years.  since it was a new start for her, she brought with her all her things, confident that she could temporarily leave her stuffs in my apartment.  unfortunately, i was indisposed in another city and would have arrived at a later time.

aside from the fact that she had no place to stay, my cousin realized that the more pressing problem was that she had no place to stash her things.  she was ready to panic when the tricycle driver she flagged down offered his home to her.  since she had no other option, my cousin agreed, and to her surprise, she got an accommodation far from what she had imagined:  the driver prepared her breakfast and let her use the bathroom.

when i got back to the city, i accompanied my cousin to collect her things.  there, i was more impressed by the driver’s generosity.  his home is a humble abode that has an architecture of a typical "bahay kubo."  it would not take a minute to know that the driver is economically challenged, yet he had the heart to help a fellow in need.

in another experience, liezl met another angel on the road.  while she was in cebu, she left her mobile phone in a taxi.  she knew that there was something wrong, but she never panicked.  she coolly dialed her own number using her friend’s phone, and the next thing she knew, the driver was telling her that he was on his way to return the phone.

i realize now that in the world of twisted people, plagued by the evils of society, there are still good people like these drivers; that in spite of the hardships of life, one can offer something to somebody.  the tricyle driver offered his home to my cousin, but he offered me a far more important value: an understanding of human kindness and compassion.  the taxi driver gave back my cousin’s phone, but he gave me back my trust to the human spirit.  and for that, i thank them.  even though i am not as lucky with people as my cousin is, i am happy to know that there is still hope for the people in these trying times.

I saw this entry while i was reading and re-reading my journal notebook.