..:: Not That Unlucky After All ::..

Whew! This day was really very tiring for me. I had experienced mental stress first thing in the morning. Probably it was because of my Chem16 lab. There was one problem in the experiment, me and my classmates had performed, that most of us in the class could not solve. I felt like giving up that time because I had absolutely no idea on how to solve it. I also felt a little bit envious of my classmates who could solve it. Fortunately, they were so good to lend their time in tutoring me. I guess I have to devote more time in studying so that I will pass my course.

I was not really able to concentrate with my studies today. I had experienced a lot of bad things for the past few days. I was actually worrying about my problems in life that these bad experiences had brought. I did not even want to go home because of issues concerning my family.

Because I did not want to go home immediately after class, I invited my friends to accompany me in watching Pan's Labyrinth. It was free for all the freshies. Oh, I really love being a freshie. There are freebies wherever you go. Anyway, the movie was good but it was not focussed on its theme. At first, I thought that it was a magical film about fairies and things like that. But I was wrong. Yes, there were some magical scenes but the movied focussed a lot on the sub-stories of the main story. The cinematography was also great. I had also learned a moral lesson. The movie was telling us to consider others first before ourselves. Well, I agree with that. What I did not like in the movie were the scenes showing brutality. I do not really like watching films with brutality like torturing people because I really get affected as if I am feeling the pain that the characters are experiencing in the movie.

When I was about to go home, I realized that one of my cellular phones was missing. I really panicked that time. I did not know what to do. I tried my best to remember where I left it. But the more I tried to remember things, the more my brain shutted down. I really did not want to go home that time because I knew that I would be so dead once my parents found out that my phone was missing. Fortunately, there was someone who found my phone and she was able to contact me. She was willing to return my phone. I was so relieved that time. I was also grateful that the one who found my phone was a very good person. I guess I am not that unlucky after all. God is really good. He answered my prayers. I could not wait to get my phone tomorrow.

< The Desire for Learning Taekwondo >

From the moment I first met my P.E. teacher up to the end of my P.E. classes today, there was only one thing bugging me and making my heart go on beating faster. That thing was taekwondo – the P.E. class I chose.

When I enlisted in the taekwondo class, I was so happy and excited because I was so desperate to learn it ever since high school. Unfortunately, I had no chance back then. But now, I had the opportunity to learn it so I did not even think twice when I enlisted on it. I never thought if that class was going to be hard. I did not even think that it might make my back ache, cause pain on my muscles, tire me too much…or in short, torture my body. I guess, all I know back then was I wanted to learn it so badly.

However, that feeling of excitement I had for taekwondo turned into something I never expected. It all started when I first met my P.E. teacher and gave us a class orientation. He started telling things that we need to do in class. “Gagawa kayo ng 50 – 100 pumpings at 10 – 30 na push-ups,” he said. “What?!?” I told myself silently. I was really shocked and started to get nervous. I did not even know how to do push-ups. Then, how I am going to survive this class? He continued discussing things – things that made me more afraid and nervous. I suddenly felt that I wanted to drop this class. When the class was dismissed, my mind was still wandering on thoughts of quitting the class. “Why did I even enlist in this class in the first place?” I suddenly uttered. For a moment there, I forgot my desire on learning taekwondo.

But things changed again. I started to realize things that are really important when I was doing my assignment for taekwondo. I read the tenets of it which are as follows: courtesy, integrity, self-control, perseverance, and indomitable spirit. The last two stroke me. I realized that I cannot really learn something without having a full determination on learning it. If I do not persevere, I will not succeed. Even if challenges and obstacles hinder me from achieving my goals, I shall not be defeated. I must try my best to face any insurmountable odds. I also gained a personal desire to achieve. These realizations, of course, do not only apply to taekwondo. I started to believe that these things will help me a lot to go through my Chemistry and other subjects and hopefully, help me to graduate.

Those were the reasons why I started to practice and practice. I always put on my mind that I should never give up. I tried to do push-ups and fortunately, I learned how to do it. I believe that taekwondo is a lifelong venture. This venture can be started by anyone but only those with perseverance can finish it. As one of my classmates said, taekwondo is a discipline. I know that it will help me to be strong and face the real world.

After my P.E. class today, the nervousness I had finally died out. My class went well. Now, I am fully determined to learn the said martial art and after I finish the basics of it, I might enroll for advance taekwondo on schools teaching it. All I have to do is practice and practice. And whenever, I feel like giving up…all I have to do is say this line to myself: “One more try…”