Resilience is not a skill to practice; moreover, it’s an innate value to unleash.
As a Filipino and an Asian, it had been one of my aspirations to promote the race where I belong as the best specie of human being in the world.
As a journalism student, it had been one of my advocacies to promulgate by means of my capability of juggling with words, the fact that Asia, being the richest in human resources, is also enriched with essential values progressively imbibed in an evolutionary revolution over the colors of its glorious history.
As a speck of dust in this highly- complex galaxy, I recognize my role as an individual organism to offer some strands of my ganglia to make this place, specifically Asia and the Philippines, a better place to live in.
I am residing on one of the Philippines vibrant cities situated on its infamous Manila. Valenzuela City has on its way to being one of the most industrialized cities in the country. But along with the fast- pace progress it undertakes is a burden of its history that never fades, as much as its folks want. It is a depleted city and it’s not an understatement when I state that just a little downpour of rain may transform this prosperous green city to an ocean- wide water world.
If there would be an estimate of 20 super typhoons to cross the Pacific, in addition to heavy monsoon rains and ITCZs, storms are just an ordinary scenario and the water world- kind- of- thing is already our life.
We are already used on occasional lifting up and tying up our house stuffs under our weak ceiling whenever water rushes inside our bungalow, which through the years had undergone annual upholstery but yet can’t escape to the usual calvary. We are used on soaking our feet under still flood until we got some fungi infecting us. We are used on eating fresh tilapia wandering beneath muddy and filthy waters due to scarcity of food. We are used to sleeping without the electric fan on. We are used on sleeping on hanging beds with waters and rubbish freely- flowing beside us. This is the life I’d been used to during the 18 years of my existence.
However how harsh the storm may be, however how strong the wind slaps on our rusty roof, however how powerful it uproot the trees, how it made us wet and weary, how it killed one of our neighbors, how it whispers scream of hopelessness in our hearts; it had been our life and we had been used to smile on every storm.
Through the years, we might not survive without resilience.
Resilience for me is not just as simple as one’s capability to stand up after being struck but rather and more appropriately, learning the reason why we are struck and why we need to stand up.
After all the disasters I had been into, I believe that it is not just a short disturbance to the continuity of my daily chores or a break to worrisome school works. I know that every rain drops not just to challenge or endanger us. I believe that every whipping rain was not just scolding us to make us feel bad or forlorn for some number of days. And I believe that every rage of flood was not just ravaging just to wipe out everything we plan, we gain, we prepare, and we store.
First, there’s a reason for being struck. And this is to teach us a lesson for a lifetime. For years, it had taught me to attach myself more to my family in the worst of times, to cooperate with my community, to pray and dwell to God in times of adversities and above all, to keep on hoping for a bright and sunny morning after a heavy torrent night.
And last, there is a reason why we need to stand up. A disaster may hurt, may destroy, may kill, may bring shattered dreams, may bring sorrow and grief, may bring lasting scar on our hearts, but it then again teaches us that every aftermath of a disaster is an opportunity to restart a new and better life, a life full of hope and is stronger to beat all incoming odds.
Every catastrophic event ends a chapter of our life, a hint for a new chapter to interweave. It put a dark past into closure and opens up a brighter new. And the new thing is something for us to excite for!
Disasters are indeed learning experiences and every lump of lessons from these professors are the true spirit of resilience Asian exhibits.And as an Asian, I am proud to live in a disaster- prone area for I know that I earn myriads of experiences, thus earning wisdom that no other place in this world could ever find its equal.I’ll never frown at the storm for I love its strict instructions training me to smile and embrace the education it offers for free (much lower to the tuition fee of our state- owned university).
There is actually no more need for us to teach resilience to everyone, it’s an innate value within the Asian people, we are naturally- born resilient!
