How to be Somebody When You are Nobody



This is How I Stand Tall in the Crowd

Just this afternoon, I was asked to tell students from the outside gate to get inside the campus and go the TechVoc(Technical Vocational) building to join the Fire Drill seminar conducted by the Municipal Fire Station crews. I was hesitant because when my principal told us to call those students and even parents, I was just asked by my co-teacher to join with them for that task, so I went.

Credits: StudyAdelaide.com

It was really a very hot day, the students and parents ran to and pro and they waited for their turn to get enrolled for the upcoming School Year 2017-2018. I could see that their faces looked exhausted as they used their fan which is also their pertinent papers for enrollment. Since it has also been having a brownout since Monday, it added up exhaustion. I could feel that everyone wanted to go home or stay outside to enjoy the shades of trees for the area is filled with it. My fellow teacher is not confident enough to dare to tell the people outside to get inside, for this guy is a bit silent type of person. I don't know why he wanted to become a teacher but he acts that way. Anyway, to be a teacher is not always having a sanguine type of temperament nor a choleric. It depends upon your passion. And I have that passion to teach.

Basically, this was not my dream when I was a child. I wanted to become an army, and it was changed when I went to high school. When I was in high school I wanted to become a basketball player. I always watch PBA(Philippine Basketball Association) and NBA. I was surrounded with many friends whose passion was playing basketball, so I went with the crowd. I always had a group practice, joined with any basketball leagues. But I have never reached that goal to become a professional basketball player. Try to imagine, a guy with a 5'2" height to dream that impossible dream. I didn't mind my height at that time because I thought I would grow taller. That was 25 years ago. Until I realized that not all I pursue I could get, what I dream of I could make. It depends upon the ability and capacity of a person dreaming. Lol!

So, my co-teacher and I tried to get closer to the people, the parents, students and those who can be invited to join that important seminar. I noticed that my colleague was just standing a bit far from the crowd. I noticed that it was just me who was inviting them. I saw his face confused. Confused, how to tell them. I called the students and parents' attention by calling them. I told them to join the seminar for it will be of great help for them. While I was inviting, I observed that it seems that students just didn't mind to what I said. I did it just in a low tone voice, at first. I did it many times in many different students standing in groups. So, I tried to call their attention by shouting. I shouted at the top of my lungs! I saw them moving going inside the campus. At first, I used my local language but it seems they don't care. So I used English language and that moved them. Then I had that sigh of relief. Almost everyone went to the seminar! I had that kinda feeling to tell almost everyone even those who are just passers-by. And my job is done. I was satisfied!

While I was on my way to the faculty room, I was wondering what had happened. I had that question in mind, 'Why did that happen? I am a teacher of this school. But it seems they don't know.' And then I realized that I was just wearing shorts, dark blue shirt, and wearing sandals. Not everyone knows me yet especially those students who belong to freshmen. And they didn't follow when I gave them instructions because they saw that I was just an ordinary man, just like men in the street. I was just wearing as if I'm not a member of the faculty, who just came to school to enroll my son, or my daughter. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!

I remembered the passage in the Bible that says, 'for the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.' 1 Samuel 16:7. It's hard to justify who you are, if what the people see on you, justifies who you are. Man looks on what they see on you and judge what you are. It is how man weighs and compares people according to their standards. It's the opposite on how God deals with us!

So, how is it? What do you say?






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