Living Peace as a Student

“I must endure the presence of two or three caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.” – Antoine De Saint Exupery, The Little Prince

I could be a caterpillar and butterfly at the same time. Being a student is the most enjoyable part of man’s life. The word ‘peace’ is not vital for me as I enjoy the studentry life in FEU. This may be an expression of those students who still endures their high school experience, as what they often say: “Peace tayo… (Then laughs…).” 

Peace, as what I believe, is the epitome of love, kindness, silence, cooperation, unity, understanding, respect, and any non-material thing that we enjoy at this very moment.  

Living peace as a student doesn’t matter to me until Mr. Gutang asked me to do this paper. This time I said to myself, “Oo nga noh? Peace is pakikipagbati.”

Blunders gave a somewhat difference from me and my family, friends, friends of friends, classmates, schoolmates, interviewees, org-mates, political friends, journalism friends, mentors, professors, and boss (uh.. I don’t have any lover *wink*). 

As I stumbled little and big mistakes, they uh… judged me and labeled me to what they think it was me, but it’s really not (because I know myself better than they do). I hate our culture when it comes to ‘mga kagalit’.

Yes, mga kagalit, they are plenty. Every year their number increases and declines slowly. Oops! My bad. It’s me, my fault. I never really lived in peace as a student. I worry often times – to my academics, allowance, tuition, family, relationship with different and too many people, and most of all, dealing with myself.

Before things get too serious, before pain would take more time to heal, before I could move on from what I wretchedly experienced – I fix what I have broken. I made peace with those who hated me. No time for pride, I know. So even if can feel that it will take time to get back what I’ve lost, I decided to wait till I smile again truthfully.

This…this is how I lived peace as a student.

As I exit this part of my life and enter into a new chapter; downfalls, laughs and learning that I obtained will always be in my undisputable memories. Peace, I learned, is what one person can feel as she becomes caterpillar and butterfly at the same time.