Rising From Its Own Ashes
This is a published article on The Papyrus during its special 10th Year Anniversary Issue.
When I was given the privilege to contribute to this
special issue of The Papyrus in celebration of the 10th year
anniversary of our institution, the first thing I asked myself was, what should
I write about?
Believe me, it’s not a walk in the park to come up
with a decent theme to write about particularly when the word “special” in the
very nature of the paper runs at the back of my mind. But, I will try my best
to be able to stand up for this special opportunity.
TIDES OF CHANGE
During the final judging and awarding of
the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines in Region 3 which was held at
the Heroes Hall in the City of San Fernando, we were given the task to
“creatively” introduce ourselves in front of the judges. I was the last one to
present myself and I chose to do a soliloquy with visuals in my hand. A bold
move compared to what my colleagues have done before me (this was apart from
being the only one wearing a red barong). I will relive that moment
by sharing this new version of my soliloquy piece.
“The
person I WAS was not that perfect,
nor did I aspire to be perfect at all. I did some things that I am not proud
of, I was not the best son, the best friend to have, the best student or the best
person at all. But despite the seemingly imperfections, the person that I WAS, was loved and accepted, nurtured
and learned. I was tested by circumstances and at the same time tempered by
apathy and difficulties.
The
person that I AM now is still aspiring
to be a better person; I always do and always will be. I still fall short of
others expectations, of my own expectations. But somehow the struggle drives me
to move further, it propels me to be more of who I am, to be more of who I want
to be.
And
lastly the person I WANT TO BE is
still struggling to push further. Armed with the learning from the experiences
of who I was, he continues further to be a better version of himself.”
I always thought that this piece has encapsulated
what I’ve gone through in life, especially my stay in college. I have been a
part of this institution roughly six (6) years now, first as a student back in
2006 and now as a part of its administrative staff.
I have to
admit that the school I’ve known then was far from what it is now. I can only
see traces of the things that made me fall in love with it. From the people to the physical things that
remind me of the “old” school I’ve called my true home, all I can see are
remnants. A lot has changed.
Many have come and go throughout the years. Some of
them went by in a fleeting manner while some in an abrupt way like a blitzkrieg
that left you puzzled as to what really hit you in that moment. But I realized
one thing, no matter what the circumstances that drifted them apart from us;
there is still that odd sad feeling why it had to end up that way, because sans
the circumstances, one way or the other, we miss them. What we have now, we owe
some of it to them, because at some point in time they have been a part of what
we have now as memories.
I remember my former teachers, most of
them I am grateful for their appreciation of my potentials and for honing me to
what I am now. Also, I have great respect with the ones that somehow
“tormented” us in a way. Because of them we’ve built stamina, helped each other
and known what true friendship was.
It etched in my consciousness what one
of them has said: "we must understand that not everyone will treat us any good
and that hard work sometimes never pays". But such circumstances should be an
opportunity to rise up to the occasion and be the better man in doing what we
feel is right. Truly many has changed since the time I
stepped foot in this institution. The school may not be the exact same place I
have loved, but whenever I see new students frolicking through the hallways of
this school, busy chatting with their friends in every corner or ranting about
some difficult teacher giving them the time of their lives, I can see my old
self in them, falling in love with this school in a very unique way.
It
takes a while to fall in love with this school, but once you do, everywhere you
turn in this institution you will feel the warmth of its unique love and
remember the memories you had.
AT THE BEGINNING
I
have always regarded myself more of the “manager” rather than the “writer” of
this publication a few years back when I was one its founding Editors-in-Chief,
alongside Ms. Karen Dela Cruz. For one, I don’t have an impeccable grammar, however, I do have the stereotypical artistic temperament that has made me
infamous with my fellow Student Council officers.
They
say that the first birth pains are the most memorable. Back then, we were cash
strapped and our egos bruised by hang-ups. We had to learn
to compromise and work with what we have to a point that we had to redo
everything from the start. I remember the times when we were organizing the
first inter-high school press conference. Robert had to craft a trophy by hand
using scrap wood and we were making medal straps and certificates until the wee
hours of the night.
Back
then, the first editorial board included me as the EIC, Robert as the Managing
Editor, Kevin the Associate Editor with our moderator Ma'am.
Jen.
We had fears that the publication might not sustain its existence. We did all that we could for the nightmare not to come and looking at how far the publication has reached now, we feel elated and proud.
We had fears that the publication might not sustain its existence. We did all that we could for the nightmare not to come and looking at how far the publication has reached now, we feel elated and proud.
Truly,
The Papyrus has never looked back. The feats of winning numerous competitions,
the first literary folio and a growing pool of writers and artists, we as your
pioneers are very proud and grateful for what you have done, for the love and
most especially for the passion.
RISING
FROM ITS OWN ASHES
The phoenix
rises above its own silvery gray ashes.
It experienced
the lowest of lows but has rebuilt itself to greatness.
From the pain of
burning
To the joys of
resurrecting
From the very
ashes of its defeat
It rises and
lives on.
Whether
we are talking about the Phoenix Force in the Marvel Universe or the mythical
bird that rises from the ashes, the Phoenix has always been an interesting
metaphor for rebirth and resurrection.
Well who doesn’t love a turnaround
right? The climactic shift from a situation that you thought was spiraling down
to being worse suddenly shifting for the better. I can’t remember how many times I have
heard the story about how the school almost closed the year before I was a
freshman in college.
From their stories it seemed like it was
a hopeless situation since the management considered closing the school. As the
years passed and with the improvements and the numerous milestones that the
school community has conquered, that dire moment in its history will be just a
memory.
The school had to experience the burn
and death before rising up from its own ashes and be reborn.
Now the challenge to our so called posterity is not to waste what others before them had built. It took ten
years to go from where we are now.
Photo Credit: Phoenix Rising
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