Iba, San Jose, Tarlac

Fun fact is I took up Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Tarlac State University because I wanted to create something out of all the thoughts I have that keeps on spilling from my head. I was a lonely child and I don’t blame anyone for it, I chose to be like that as a defense mechanism, I have books for companions and imaginary characters for friends and it was enough.

Looking back, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to be, just that I love to read and write essays so I decided to pursue the program. I would have love to author a book that people will find inspiring actually. Honestly, people expected me to follow down the path of my mother and become a teacher but it just doesn’t speak to me. I once share from a previous blog post how I love the academe too much but I just can’t see myself being the academe for the youngsters. I don’t have the patience and passion to wake up every morning for the next decades and teach, or at least not yet for now.

When I was on my first year of college I created a blog so I can have a channel for my thoughts that I wanted to out but don’t want my friends to know about. I write and publish posts without inhibition. For me it was more therapeutic just letting it all out, and fulfilling when organic readers from all over the world comment and say how they can relate to my sentiments.

As I grow older (wow big word haha) and with the influence of social media I somehow become more shy and hesitant on what I post and share. I consider myself as a writer or blogger but there came a time where I feel so scared sharing what I wanted to say.

It’s actually weird because social media was design to be a platform for storytellers to reach wider audience but it feels like a trap for me during those times. People use social media to their advantage that it went overboard.

People post and share stories just for the sake of likes, reach, and impression. Well, most of the times.

I admit that I’m one of those too sometimes, aren’t we all? We based our worth on how many likes we get from our posted photos; it’s now where we get our affirmation to boost our confidence.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as you know the boundary of what is virtual reality and what is real reality. We don’t realize that we’re so dependent on virtual world that it becomes our reality little by little.

We now don’t create to tell stories because we create to reach and attracts brands and advertisers.

We became this passive-aggressive people where we only react if it will make noise and warrant us likes.

Just recently issues about a blogger questioning an international media company about their basis to conduct interviews for bloggers, and what I notice is that the blogger keeps on telling the staff of that media company about how some bloggers have higher reach and engagements compare to the other blogger which the media outlet interviewed, and how unfair they are. Again, I do not have intentions to dig this issue up, no need for trolls to linger on my space. Thank you very much.

The thing is we based our place in hierarchy which is based on numbers. You are famous and brands will get to you because they want to market, never mind the content.

You have the opportunity to make things better. You have the power to create and inspire people to do more. People don’t need articles that are well written, it doesn’t need to be intelligent because google and other search engines already does that kind of job, giving of information.  We need humans and their stories of being real and having a feeling. We need someone that we can relate to. We need stories that we can hold on to for our hope and faith whether it’s bad or good.

Do not be afraid to share bad stories because life is not just all about the good. Be real and show your pains, everyone is hurting and someone needs something they can relate to.

Share your stories because they are worthy to be told.

Do you have stories to tell? I wanna know, comment down below.

Why visiting and volunteering to Sitio Haduan brings unexplainable experience

Fun fact, I had difficulty writing an intro for this because I wanted to put a disclaimer of some sort saying I’m not one of those mainstream volunteers who keeps on saying ‘it was great’ or ‘it was fun’ because honestly it’s 85% hard work, well at least for me.

Years ago I signed up on various volunteering groups online but never had the chance to join their activities since I live very far from them so the least I can do is do online volunteering with the use of social media and stuff like that. During those times I'm already blogging all the way from Tarlac so contributing thru writing, tweeting, sharing FB posts, and all of that is the least that all I can do to help.

Last year, I finally had the chance to really volunteer. Yay! I'm part of an organization (Para Sa Mga Bata-Team Hope) composed of different people from all walks of life which mainly comes from Tarlac Province. The organization believes not just in outreach programs but rather more on a sustainable growth of a community. And it was undescribable. Honestly, it’s not really great great. I’ll be lying if I say that I was 100% bliss because I’ve been happy and it was not what I felt during that activity, I was more contented than happy.

Don’t get me wrong, I had so much fun meeting new people and having the opportunity to do it with my friends but if I’ll be ask to choose a word to describe that experience it will be CONTENTMENT.

I chose the word contentment to describe it because I was transported to a whole new world where everything is so simple and real. I feel like I was a child once again, doing simple things.

We hike a steep side of a mountain just to reach their homes, cross a hanging bridge, and endure some muddy part of the mountain just to reach our destination. Is it worth it? Yes, it is and if I’ll be asked to do it again I’ll do it hundred times just to feel it again.

It’s not just us who brought happiness to the community living in Sitio Haduan, they also brought happiness to us. They let us feel and live a simple life even just for a day and it’s more than enough for me. I found new friends, renew some friendships, and help in some ways.

Opinion wise, I believe that helping others should not be all about giving gifts and showing that they are less fortunate than you are. It should be showing them that we are all equal.

I encourage everyone to help and volunteer but do it because you really want it and not for the likes and positive feedbacks you’ll get on virtual world. Remember that there are more things far more important than that, and that is the memory that you’ll instill to the community. The hope, lessons, and guidance that you can share.