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Vol.
13 No. 27 December 08-13, 2003 A teté- a-teté with someone who fulfilled her personal legend In Paulo Coelho’s novel, “The Alchemist,” PERSONAL LEGEND is described as something, which you have always wanted to accomplish. According to the book, to realize one’s personal legend is a person’s only real obligation. And when you want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you achieve it. Walking my way to La Buena Comida made me think of how a lot of people are unmindful of the extra effort they have to exert just to go to that place. It seems that before you reach it, there would already be other canteens that would offer the services any hungry person needs. Another five minutes or so and I was already at the foot of La Buena. And as I saw Josephine, I felt so little. In allthe time that I was whining about walking, she was already there, waiting for me without a fuss. Josephine Cruz or Jopay, as fondly called by her friends and family, is not a neophyte when it comes to walking an extra mile, so to speak. Just last semester, she had to give up a permanent status as a support staff in the university for a chance to fulfill what she just lately realized to be her destiny. While some of us are still working for that permanency status, she opted to become a part-time faculty member of the Social Sciences Department, teaching History and Constitution subjects. Here’s how my conversation with Jopay went. Newsette: What was the reaction of your family when you told them about your new job? Was it good news for them? Josephine: “Lahat sila natuwa dahil sila talaga yung nakakaalam ng kakayahan ko, so nung malaman nilang magtuturo ako lahat sila natuwa…” N: Was money taken into consideration? J: “Hindi eh, kasi sa sarili ko, kung ano yung kaya ko at kung saan ako kapakipakinabang mas maganda yon, kaysa dun naman sa monetaryong konsiderasyon, tapos wala namang happiness.” N: What about your friends in the support staff? How did they take the news? J: “…yung iba, narinig ko na nalulungkot tapos yung iba…ewan ko (with a slight giggle), nawalan daw ng maingay sa DO (Discipline Office -Jopay was a secretary at that office for three years), tapos yung iba naman natutuwa din kasi, ewan ko, natuto raw akong mangarap hindi ko alam kung ano ang ibig nilang sabihin. Actually isa sa mga staff na nakaalam na lilipat ako nasabi niya sa akin na ‘bakit?’ kung baga nasa kama ka na bakit lilipat ka pa ng banig. Kasi nga naman sa staff, sigurado ka na, dahil permanent ka compared dito na mangangapa pa daw ako, magsisimula uli.” N: I’m sure even before you became a teacher, a lot of students already recognized you as a discipline officer (She was a discipline officer for two semesters). Did you receive any surprised reaction during your first day in class? J: “…yung ibang nakakakilala sa akin, parang ayaw nila, kasi parang mataray daw ako, tapos …merong estudyanteng nagsabi na dahil dati raw akong DO eh baka matapang daw ako …ang sabi ko naman tingnan muna nila.” N: What about from your colleagues in the Social Sciences Department? J: “Unang-una, welcome kaagad ang feeling ko kay Sir Dator (Engelbert Dator)..hindi ka magkakaroon ng inhibition. Natuwa nga ako nung pinapakilala ako…Uy! may pumalakpak! Alam mo yung ganun?…kasi yung iba naman dun naging dati kong teacher.” (Jopay finished A.B. Political Science at De La Salle University-Dasmariñas.) N: According to some of your friends you really wanted to become a teacher, why didn’t you just apply in another school after you graduated? J: “Nasa dugo na namin (laughs)…pero ako talaga ayokong magturo. Noon kasi wala akong choice kasi yun ang available na job, yung sa prep at sa high school after kong grumadweyt. (Jopay taught for a while in prep and high school before she got connected with DLSU-D as a secretary) Gusto ko talaga office work…at yung trabaho ko as a secretary talagang na-enjoy ko…” N: What then led you to teaching? J: “Actually na-realize kong gusto kong magturo noon lang January…nagturo ako sa Balik-Aral.” N: Habang DO ka? J: “Oo sa Balik-Aral…tapos uy... parang ito na ata yung calling ko talaga. Ayaw ko nga dati kaya nga ako umalis sa prep at highschool…lumayo pa ako pero dito ko rin pala makikita sa La Salle ang hinanahap ko.” N: When you were a kid did you really like to become a teacher? J: “Ay hindi…gusto kong mag-artista. Ayoko nga kasing matulad dun sa mga lola ko na tumatandang dalaga. Sabi ko kailangan kong makagawa ng kakaiba sa pamilya namin…lately na nang na-realize ko na pagtuturo pa rin pala ang gusto ko.” N: Was it a hard decision? I mean giving up the permanency status? J: “Oo…pero ewan ko, iba yung eagerness ko nang matuklasan ko sa sarili ko na ito ang gusto kong gawin… parang iba. Kung baga nasa loob na siya ng puso mo.” N: Amidst everything that you gave up and the obstacles that you’re facing today, is it all worth it? J: “Oo naman! Iba yung happiness na nararamdaman ko ngayon. Para bang ngayon ko naramdaman yung worth ko as a human…parang taong-tao ako ngayon… yung gusto kong mai-share naishe-share ko na.” And as I took my last sip of Coke light and enjoyed the soothing atmosphere that La Buena brings, I realized that they were all worth it – both the arduous walk and Josephine’s decision to fulfill her personal legend. For all we know, like her, the fulfillment of our personal legend might just be lying in DLSU-D as well…waiting to be explored. Marco Saez Here are some of the people who, over the years, changed their status in the university: ::
Marizel Castillo – from accounting clerk to Management |
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