Generation Why: Modern Musings for the Modern (Adolescent) Man

COVER

Profiles

Lou Marcial M. Cuesta Editor-in-Chief | Layout Artist

Aledale Faith Cadena Contributor

Christian Emmanuel Coscolluela Contributor

Christian V. Morales Contributor

Temmy Isidro Contributor

Arianne Jane Oliveros Contributor | Assistant Editor

FO RE WO RD If there’s any creature in this floating rock Correspondence, and Clarity. Within these stratas that has more philosophical prowess are personal, written love letters to life, itself within than Aristotle, it would proactively be the and without all its craziness and uncertainty. teenage dreams of the current Generation Z.

Behind them, however, one must be able to see

Hailing from their own quirks, edginess, the author, the creator, and above all else, the human. and 3 AM thoughts are questions and answers on There’s nothing quite as complex as the teenage self what it truly means to be human—from how to live especially when one has been constantly placed in meaningful lives, to wandering ideas on what the extremities. Their words may contradict yours, happens after we die, there’s nothing that can and sometimes even their own, but that’s what makes quite beat the hormone-induced philosophy of the wonder towards things beautiful amidst its teenagers. Take a quick peek into our lives and sticky chaos. I personally welcome you all to what one would be charmed to study the vastness of could simply be described as humanity’s thoughts and notions: acceptance and indignation, greatest creation and failure: 17-18 year aesthetics and substance, self and others. These old kids who had been spoonfed too much themes are nothing but a part of a larger sum wisdom in a world with too little time. in what I’d like to call our “generation’s whys”.

This journal carefully illustrates all of

Amuse yourselves in the lives drawn, these musings; and I cannot wait for you to relationships opened, and questions asked seen come out either as a changed reader, just maybe, through various lenses, namely: Crossroads, Conflict, you will love life a little bit more after this.

Just some edgy teenager, Lou Marcial M. Cuesta

Dear Mom and Dad, Though you may not actually be reading this letter in-depth, still I want to be open and honest with my thoughts anyway. As I get older, I realize evermore how much freedom and responsibility I have in my hands. I have all the freedom in the world to do as I want, but still a multitude of responsibilities that I cannot ignore. And as that time passes by me, I recognize the need to act on those responsibilities of mine.

That simply sitting on the sidelines and thinking nothing wrong of the situation will and has caused me my own fair share of issues to resolve.

And as the imminent subject of my future looms over me, I see it my own responsibility to take it into my own hands and shape it finally. The freedom to choose my own path in life also comes with the added responsibility of minding my own actions and being responsible for the after affects they cause. If I were to fail or fall there would be no one to blame, but myself. I will be the one and only person truly responsible for any actions I may commit.

And that’s why I want to thank you both, for being the inspiration for these life changing decisions in my life. For giving me the strength to pave my own path and to use my own freedom to its full extent. I’ll follow a career of my own making, one that I’m comfortable operating in and one that I hold full responsibility for.

This is the path I’ve set myself on

Edited by: Lou Cuesta and intend to follow through to the end. No matter what shortcomings I may encounter, I look to see it happen fully.

The responsibility set on me by my conscious decisions is just another example of that freedom. I control my own actions, no one else. I am the master of my own life with full control of what happens to it. If anything were to happen to something around me, that would only be a sideeffect of my own actions. It’s that responsibility of accountability and position of power that’s the heaviest strung of all. Being the one in charge of what happens to everything around yourself.

The freedom of choosing a career path being the heaviest burden of all. Deciding truly and finally the fate of my own future and what I want to do with it.

Knowing full well that it is exactly what I will be settling into for potentially the rest of my life. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but it is my responsibility to decide upon what I want that life to be. Having it become one of my greatest life changing decisions depending on the outcome. I simply can’t afford not to care anymore. That’s why I’m writing this letter in the first place. To let you know of my stance in life and how I want to approach it.

Your son, Christian Coscolluela CROSSROADS | 5

Dear Mom & Dad,

Edited by: Lou Cuesta Hi Mom and Dad, first of all, I just want to say how blessed I am to have both of you as my parents. I love you both and that is something that I cannot hide. Without my parents’ direction, I would not have grown into the man I am today. I hope that my life’s work bears witness to the significant time and effort they put into my upbringing. We may not see eye to eye on certain things, and when I get angry at you both sometimes, I just want you to know that I still respect and love you both.

anymore. I hope that throughout the years, I may be able to express what I truly feel because I don’t want to lose both of you without telling you what I truly feel. As I am growing up you have always taught me what is right and what is wrong, and that I should not be conscious to fight for my freedom, but there will always be a part of me who is still afraid to come out to you.

You have always been there to support my every decision, and have always done your best to

Ever since I was a child walk me on the right path, mom you have always tried your best and dad, no matter what happens to let me have the freedom that I now, you will always be the people want, that most kids do not get to who raised me to become a person experience. Even though you let me who always cares for others. do things that I want to do, there is still a part of me that isn’t free, and I’m now entering adulthood, I’m afraid that if I came out of my and I am about to face one of the closet, you may not recognize me biggest and toughest decisions

6 | CROSSROADS

that I have to face, and it is to choose my career path, both of you always wanted me to become a surgeon due to the benefits that it would give me, I know that choosing this path would make the both of you be proud to me, but as time goes by, I want to choose a different career path from the one you wanted me to have, even though that I may not have your full support on this, I just want you to know that I will carry with me every lesson that you gave me because I know that each one of those lessons made me become the person that I am now today.

Yours truly, Christian V. Morales

Illustration by: Andrea Wan CROSSROADS | 7

Dear Mr. President I am sending you this letter in concern for my fellow Filipino people who are suffering from intellectual disabilities and those who are from the underprivileged sector of the society, specifically the indigenous people.

First of all about the indigenous people In your State of the Nation Address on July 25, you promised to safeguard the protection of Lumad indigenous peoples through the implementation of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples’ activities; that safety net is desperately required.

According to data by indigenous peoples’ advocacy groups, out of the more than 300 recorded extrajudicial killings in the Philippines since 2010, assailants frequently associated with the military or paramilitary groups were responsible for the deaths of at least 80 indigenous leaders and members. Since then, military operations against suspected NPA militants have displaced hundreds of kids from indigenous schools across four Mindanao provinces. Domestic human rights organizations said in 2015 that the military had carried out a series of attacks on indigenous peoples in Mindanao. Beginning in late March, 6,000 protesters from drought-stricken districts in North Cotabato and Bukidnon provinces

assembled in Kidapawan City, principally indigenous peoples, farmers, and supporters. Two persons were killed as police opened fire at the throng. The authorities have yet to conduct an investigation into those killings.

militants who abuse the local populace in these areas.

Second is in regard to those person who is suffering from different kinds of disabilities as I have noticed here in the Philippines, there are lack of laws

As part of counter- and privileges which are supposed insurgency operations, the to be given to those person who military has attempted to are suffering from different kind legitimize previous attacks and of disabilities, and I also notice that there are plenty of families who have members that have disabilities in their kin that are experiencing poverty due to a lack of support and opportunities.

displacements of indigenous peoples in tribal territories in various provinces in the southern Philippines. Some military troops have been accused of abusing indigenous people’s rights while working as security personnel for mining and plantation enterprises.

Paramilitary groups, some of which are supported and supplied by the military, are frequently used as “force multipliers’’ against

I suggest Mr. President should give them more financial support and you should implement a law to prohibit inequalities towards a person with disabilities because as I have seen here, a lot of PWDs who have beautiful talents are merely wasted because of inequalities. They are being discouraged and discriminated against.

Mr. President, I write this for you must hear the voices of your fellow Filipinos who need your help the most. You must focus on those who are in need, not on those dolomite beaches. Those people who are in need voted for you in the election because they have a trust in you that you will be a good leader and now it is your time to prove it.

A concerned youth, Temmy Isidro

Graphics by: Lou Cuesta CONFLICT | 9

Dear Mr. President Rodrigo Duterte Recently, most people experienced a lot of toxic issues such as discrimination, sexual harassment or rape, corruption, and a lot more.

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations, it is stated that there is an article for discrimination. The people who are victims of this issue are Black people. They were insulted and harassed. In addition, LGBTQIA+ in the community had also been discriminated against. They were also harassed by a lot of people.

It is one of the articles of human rights in UN is Freedom from Discrimination which is stated in article 2. Article 2: Article 2 states that everyone is entitled to all the freedoms listed in the UDHR, “without distinction of any kind such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions, national or social origin, property, birth or another status.” The last words of this sentence—“other status”—have frequently been cited to expand the list of people specifically protected. They need also to speak up and voice up but they were threatened and afraid to speak up. They lack freedom.

This is not equality at law. Article 1 is the “right to equality”. Article 1 stated that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article One of 10 | CONFLICT

the United States Constitution establishes the legislative branch of the federal government, the United States Congress. Article One grants Congress various enumerated powers and the ability to pass laws “necessary and proper” to carry out those powers. What can you do to stop discrimination? Everyone deserves to be treated equally. We are all humans. Whether you are straight or part of LGBTQIA, you deserve freedom.

As I have observed in the Halalan 2022 candidates, most people are narrow-minded and do not welcome legal-based information. We need a leader to defend and fight for our country.

We need a model who can lead our nation. Why do people choose or corrupt candidates? This matter is important because one vote will change our tomorrow, and will make things possible or not. Moving on to another issue is sexual harassment or rape. How can you solve this matter? One of the reasons said by the guilty people that sexual harassment happens is because that woman wears sexy clothes. A women’s clothing is not a lame excuse for rape. Rape is rape. How do you solve this current issue in our society today? Article 5 of Human rights is freedom from torture and degrading statements. Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture, or cruel, inhuman, or degrading

Graphics by: Lou Cuesta

treatment or punishment. the administration believed the prohibitions against torture were “quaint” and “obsolete,” did not apply in what it labeled the “war on terrorism,” and even that the President could “override” international law.

Moving onwards to another matter is the low pay of nurses in this pandemic. Since the pandemic started, nurses have been very busy and even sacrificed their sleep, rest, and even their food just to save the lives of many people who are suffering from the COVID 19 virus. Is it possible that you can give them higher pay? They deserve to be paid a high value because of their working hours.

My mom was a former nurse or worked in a hospital before, it was very tiring and stressful. A lot of nurses are sleep-deprived. Being a nurse is not that easy. You have to assist the doctor, work straightly and do a lot of effort because the life of a person depends on you.

Nurses should also be recognized and appreciated by the people and not just doctors.

Moving on to the next issue is divorce. Should divorce need to be legalized in the Philippines?

What is your thought about that?

In my perspective, divorce shall be legalized. Why? Although the Catholic Church may never support divorce in the Philippines, women experienced physical and emotional abuse by their husbands.

They were also harassed. Some are forced into being married or arranged marriages. Once a relationship or marriage is toxic, it can lead to some mental issues.

Being in a toxic marriage is very hard. It can possess your mind and you cannot think right. What are your ways of solving this sensitive issue? Marriage is sacred, yes but what about the rights of women who were abused, hurt, and manipulated? Can you stand by that matter? Toxic is toxic. Should you suggest or implement a law about divorce? Lastly, why do some criminals win because of wealth

and power? Is that justice? As far as I know, the main goal of the law is to pursue and aim for justice, not inequality. Why do they still prevail when they make mistakes?

According to my knowledge, there is criminal law. The definition of criminal law is a body of legal regulations made by federal and state legislatures as well as by judges who set precedent (called common law). The area of law about the violation of offenses as well as the investigation, charging, prosecution, and punishment of offenders.

Criminal law protects citizens from criminals who would inflict physical harm on others or take their worldly goods. Because of the importance of property in capitalist America, many criminal laws are intended to punish those who steal. The criminal justice system is designed to deliver “justice for all.” This means protecting the innocent, convicting criminals, and providing a fair justice process to help keep order across the country. In other words, it keeps our citizens safe. I believe that the Philippines has a lot of laws and constitutions. Why are some people not using it wisely?

Why are some leaders violating these laws? Laws need to be used wisely. Laws serve as a purpose to save and protect the dignity of a human person.

The purpose of the law is to preserve freedom and moral agency. The rule of law is a meta-legal principle. Similar to natural law theory, it provides a benchmark against which laws can be evaluated. From this perspective, the law is about the discovery of the rules of just conduct.

That’s all and I hope that you can do something to end and solve these alarming and sensitive issues. I am looking forward to finding solutions to these problems.

Name of the sender, Aledale Cadena CONFLICT | 11

Graphics by: Lou Cuesta

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE

Mr. President, I am writing this letter in addressing the problem of our fellow individuals who have disabilities and those from the underprivileged sectors of society.

First and foremost, I want to address the problem of the people who have disabilities. One of the problems they encounter is accessibility, the world around us is not a pleasant place to be every move we take must be met with a number of challenges. Physically disabled persons have it much worse. They are typically confined to wheelchairs or crutches. As a result, being able to move about freely is not a privilege they can afford. Furthermore, public spaces are seldom designed with the comfort of individuals with disabilities. There are no ramps in certain public areas, or the passageways are too tiny for them to navigate. Another issue is they feel ignored by society about their disabilities, this problem frequently prevents people from connecting and speaking with such persons.

Some of us get pleasure from putting others down. Bullying the weak and poor gives them a sense of superiority. Disabled persons 12 | CONFLICT

are frequently the victims of such heinous and repulsive acts. The only way to break down these handicap barriers is for more people to be aware of them and to raise awareness.

I would like to address the problem in our underprivileged sectors of society, especially those people who are in urban areas, homeless, overpopulation, slums, and rental restrictions.

The challenges associated with poverty, the family’s dwelling unit, and the neighborhood in which it is located are some of the issues they faced every day. Poverty is one of the major problems they encounter, the lack of education is one of the underlying causes of poverty. It is a cycle, and those who lack knowledge are unable to improve their circumstances.

Poverty accompanies gender discrimination, racism, and other types of social injustice. People who are victims of social injustice have a difficult time receiving a good education, finding suitable employment, and gaining access to resources that might help them escape poverty. Lastly, in healthcare, poor people are more

likely to have poor health. This is due to the fact that healthcare is frequently too expensive or unavailable to people who want it.

Without money for medicine and treatment, the poor are forced to make difficult choices, with food frequently taking precedence.

The government must be involved in many of the topics I’ve discussed. Many governments, on the other hand, are either incapable or unwilling to help the impoverished. This might include not providing or eliminating social welfare programs, diverting funds away from people in need, failing to create enough infrastructure, or aggressively persecuting the populace. When a government fails to address the needs of the poor, the poor are likely to remain poor. With this matter, I would like to address all of these to you Mr. President so that the persons with disabilities and the underprivileged sectors will have a support system and they can gradually step forward and have hope in their everyday lives.

Most Respectfully, Arianne Oliveros

i

Dear digital acquaintances and friends, It’s been almost two years (and counting) since we’ve plummeted ourselves into our homes, caved in and distanced from each other because one cough proved to be deadly enough. This, inevitably, forced us to open our screens and shift from conventional lives to virtual ones. Our pages have become holy ground; we decided to treat our timelines as treadmills, scrolling through miles and miles of other people’s lives, as we attempt to make sense of our own. It’s a chaotic thought process when we become mimes, constantly trying to mirror, compare, and contrast what we’re going through with what others are.

Our natural is beautiful, and should be taken as sacred.

The same can be said with our relationships online. We need to build better brands of humans that embrace their genuine selves rather than ones who are pressured to fake it. If we all become organic people, then not a single user would be forced to do otherwise. To the person reading this, talk to real people: the ones who spark up your day and the ones who make you feel seen for who you truly are, not just some version of you. You only need a handful, not a lot; friendship is not about accumulating numbers, it’s threading sympathy with the kosher ones. I know Dear friends, social media is a curated museum, technologically-driven relationships are a difficult but behind every marble statue are cracks, bumps, minefield out there, not knowing which people are and scars all masked up to look perfect. You are not bombs awaiting to cut both of your feet but it’s going one of those; no one is. We need to stop perceiving to be even lonelier when you don’t. these applications as true reflections of life because they were designed to be toyed with, and we are Times are so hard right now, and we need humans made up of complex fragments, more so each other: the authentic us. highlighted in this era, that are not built for virtual playgrounds.

Always your real friend, Lou Marcial M. Cuesta 14 | CORRESPONDENCE

Illustration by: Dan Bejar CORRESPONDENCE | 15

Dear naomi nerry,

Hi long-distance friend, I just want to say that you are one of the people that I consider not only as my friend but as my family. Most people don’t meet their closest friends in the manner we did. It was only a simple message sent over Messenger that basically declared, “Hey, let’s be friends.”

And we did.

You may not know this, but you are the person that gives me the strength to keep on going no matter what, both of us have gone through a lot of difficulties but we keep on supporting each other and I know that this is one of the reasons why our bond is strong. We may not see each other all the time, but I’m grateful that whenever we have the time, we would call each other and just bond, I really hope that I would get to see you soon.

You were the first person that made me come out of my shell, I really appreciated that because now I know a lot of things that I didn’t know about myself and that I get to see the world again with a bright color. You’ve been there for me and I just want you to know that no matter what will happen I will always have your back. Our relationship may have been built online and that we didn’t get to experience having fun in real life, but I want you to know that there will come a day where we would get to see each other do the things that we wanted to do, it may not be tomorrow or for a couple of weeks.

I don’t want us to disconnect from each other, because I know that it would be hard for both of us, so please just hang on to the idea of the pandemic ending and that we would get to know and see each other in real life.

Edited by: Lou Cuesta

16 | CORRESPONDENCE

Sincerely your friend from a very far away place, Christian V. Morales

Edited by: Lou Cuesta

Dear Bianca (aka Ishie), It’s been a while, my OG sister. How are you? I miss you so much. I know that some people are comparing or insulting you because of your body. Don’t mind them. Your imperfections make you beautiful.

You are a queen, remember that. You are not fat. You are just voluptuous. Always remember that you are loved. Many people love you and I am one of them.

We rarely contact or communicate with each other because we have our own priorities and commitment in life and I am grateful that our friendship remains strong. Embrace your imperfections and flaws. I am glad that you are now very confident. I am so happy for you. I love how you slay and rock the universe like you own it. You know what? I am very lucky to have you in my life.

with me. I will gladly set aside my other priorities or I can listen to you while doing my task. I will make time for you because I know the feeling that you are alone and no one wants to listen to you. I value you a lot because you are a sister to me.

You are my everything. I am so happy that you found a guy or should I say a man who can love and accept you wholeheartedly. I claim that we will be successful in the future. I remember that your strand is medical related. Let’s reach our goals together! I believe that you will become a doctor and I will become a lawyer someday. I claim that in the future we can now finally be called as Dr. and Atty.

Thank you for being there by my side. I am blessed and thankful to have you in my life. You are an angel

When we were kids, we used to be enemies to me. Always remember that your scars make you and I don’t even know why. But life is full of unex- beautiful. pected twists. We became best friends for 15 years.

Our bond became solid, even though we are distant You are beautiful in your own way. Also, from one another. I hope you are doing okay despite please don’t forget to have your pahuway in the midthe criticisms that they said to you. Remain strong, dle of your padayon okay? You need to rest or take a okay? If you need a shoulder to cry on or someone break also. I love you so much and can’t wait to see you can talk to about your struggles and doubts in you soon! life, please don’t hesitate to message or communicate Your childhood best friend, Aledale Faith (Shan Cai)

CORRESPONDENCE | 17

Dear Christian, Edited by: Lou Cuesta

I am writing a letter to myself, wow I know that these past few never thought of this happening months have been hard, especially but here it is. deciding which path are we gonna take. I understand that there are

Let me begin by expressing a lot of factors that affect your that it’s fine to feel like you’re not decision-making, but ultimately performing as well as you should. you’ve decided to choose a So take a moment to breathe, healthcare management course, weep, lay your head down, look because of your passion for having out a window, or go for a stroll business as well as being in relation if you need to. Do it without any to medicine. I want to remind interruptions. Thank God for what you of the things that we’ve been you have, look at all the lovely listing in our goals list, also our things about you, and forget about top priority is to build a successful your worries for a time. One piece empire so that in following years of advice that I could give to you you would be able to reap all the is that if you ever stumble upon fruits of your hard work, and that multiple problems, I want you to you be able to spoil your family write them all down, cross out the and friends. Another is to fully things that you couldn’t do, and travel the world and to learn the do all the things that you can, do different cultures and traditions it one at a time. If you ever feel like of everyone whilst making a you’ve hit rock bottom, remember connection with them. You’ll that the only way out is up, and continue to grow more awesome take comfort in your vulnerability. as you get older. Remember, the Be grateful for what you have, and aim is to reach 90 (or later). You know that the best is yet to come. have a lot of time on your hands.

Of course, ask for assistance when Despite your frustrations, you’re you require it. on your way to realizing all of

your ambitions. One more thing whatever you’re dealing with right now, just remember the people who’ve helped you to be at that point in life, treat them always with kindness and respect, love, and treasure those who stay for they are your family by blood or not.

Sometimes Life punches you straight in the gut, knocks you down, and just keeps on kicking, but don’t roll all over the floor and cry. Take the beating, but don’t let it get the better of you. You can’t see the next punch coming, but you can plan your next move. Life may be a thing of absolute beauty, a thing of true wonder. Also, this year, you’ve learned how to respect and treat your body, as well as how to respect and treat people around you. Don’t ever settle for the easy way, just don’t settle, period.

Sincerely yours, Morales

CLARITY | 19

Dear 18-year old Lou

Edited by: Lou Cuesta 20 | CLARITY

Let me start off with how Heidegger views authenticity as the self’s way to live out a meaningful and passionate life.

He labels such a state as the Daesin, but views it not as a noun, rather a verb: the unceasing journey of the self, of myself, towards change, rebirth, and meaning. I’m writing this letter to myself in hopes I can map out my thoughts on my purpose here on this floating rock before I become one with the stars.

Before any great promises are written in this letter, let me first detail down on how I wish to arrive at the destination: through death.

Beyond metaphysical death, burying the self’s old character can also be viewed as something worth grieving for. The cause?

Change. Specifically, identifying that the act of metamorphosis is seeing death as one’s own most.

My change is for me, and only me.

And with this transformation, I expect my worldviews would also be altered. Don’t get me wrong, I do not wish to be always thirsty for curiosity whenever I change, for that would be inauthentic of me. I’d also like to be grounded to some consistent ideals and truths that will lead me to molding my own meaning of life.

Let me now take you to my life’s meaning (or what I intend that to be). For now, you’ve been adhering to subjective naturalism

when it comes to shaping the meaning of life. Wait, using “you” as a pronoun detracts me from owning up, let me go back to the “I”. However, not that of extreme hedonism, rather it’s taking charge of the energy and its manifestations on whichever I allow myself to follow through. Perhaps, this can be best exemplified by my ultimate quest to leave a mark in this world. How grandiose of me, but truly, my honest self craves to have my name be remembered in the books. As to how I will do that, I still do not know; perhaps I’ll be altruistic enough, intelligent enough, or both. But I do know that my degree of “enough” will be completely born out of my own definition, and not by that of the material society. I’ll always be optimistic about my goal to leave a legacy, after all why would I be here if not to change others alongside me?

those I’ve met along my timeline.

At the time this letter is being written, I do not wish to speak of my passions and desires if I cannot simply jot them down without doubt because that’ll simply be idle talk, hence inauthentic. Instead, let me amuse myself by pondering on what I can process and understand. I understand that I still need to work on all aspects of myself. I still am a bit too ragged, too unsure, and too all over the place. But I’m working on accepting these flaws and taking ownership of them, even though they were probably caused by some cruel, deterministic joke of the universe. And hey! Life wouldn’t be as interesting if I’m not dysfunctional just like the rest of humanity. I’d also like to say that I’m paving a life in which I am ruled by my own definitions.

As a guy who likes scribbling words, I’d like to redefine some of

Maybe at the current age my life’s own; maybe even write of 18 I’m viewing my mark before a dictionary for myself, one day. death as something grander in My future is that of a burning, nature. passionate one (even if I still am not sure of what exactly would

Maybe I’ll continue to make me combust), painted in all change—a continuous death of hues of amber and blue. the old self as I age—and by the time I’m at my most wisdom-filled At the end of the day, I would self just like how Socrates would simply just need to be authentic like to define it, I’d discover that enough: own up to my impending true bliss comes from not being death and get ready to face a more but from being contented tomorrow completely anew as a with what’s already there. Perhaps person, and by then, be concrete my name will not be written off in enough with my resoluteness. a history book, but rather deeply carved in the hearts and minds of Your one true soulmate, Also Lou Cuesta CLARITY | 21

Reflections

Time is an unstoppable force always in collision with us. It’s death’s friend, and life’s enemy and for us, it has become both. I’ve always seen time as the root cause of why we do things because we’ve always come to believe that our lives are dictated by the numbers on a clock. Some have found that they’ve got too much time on their hands, including me. After all, I’m just but on the cusp of adulthood with so much life yet still to live but living through the pandemic, with so many loved ones lost, both metaphysically and figuratively, I’ve realized we’re fooling ourselves that time’s abundant when it really is not.

And as much as it is scary to think that we’re just racing towards our home sixfeet underground, I’ve found it’s much healthier to see the draining clock as a motivation; a source as to why we need to live. Because when I have my life tied to an expiration date, then shouldn’t I be authentically enjoying what I have now? It’s kind of true what the greats have said that we never know the value of something till it’s gone, and it’s only a matter of time before I realize this sooner than later. So, what am I waiting for? An absolution? A permission? Or maybe, neither because I have everything at my disposal—love, kindness, and passion— that empowers me to live my life at this very moment.

Lou Cuesta 22 | REFLECTIONS

The only thing that is definite in life is that it is uncertain. Every morning, we awoke unsure of what was ahead. We live each day to work for our ambitions, dreams, and happiness, and we either feel fulfilled, hopeful, or hopeless at the end of it. But anything might happen at any time, I remind myself to calm down.

We don’t have control over our lives.

God gave it to us, and only He has the authority to take it away at any time.

Taking our own life before God’s time is, don’t you think, stealing from our Divine Creator? Maybe that’s why it’s referred to as a sin. I was enthralled by how life worked on this planet. Nothing else will be remembered of what we did when we die except those things that gave meaning to someone else’s life and impacted them so deeply that they kept it in their memories. As a result, I discovered that the greatest treasure in life is the beautiful and meaningful relationships we have with others, not honor, wealth, power, or other tangible belongings. In Filipino, it’s known as “Pakikipag-kapwa.” Kindness, respect, and sympathy are the foundations of the best partnerships. It’s easy to be enthralled by the wonders of the world.

But, in the end, you’ll understand that those things aren’t what matters most.

Temmy Isidro

The two sides of the same coin are life and death. We, on the other hand, spend the majority of our time dealing with life and rejecting or denying the natural component of death, maybe because we perceive it as a definitive conclusion. Death is frequently associated with misery, loss, and uncertainty. I’ve been thinking a lot about life and death lately. And I’m grateful to be alive. And I’m well loved, and my life has meaning and purpose. I’m grateful for having more time in this life to spend with my friends, family, and everything else I’m interested in. As a result, for the time being, I’ll accept each day as it comes, thankful to be alive. Life’s sole certainty is that there is none. Every day, we awoke unsure of what was ahead of us. Every day, we labor for our aspirations, dreams, and happiness, and we either feel fulfilled, hopeful, or despairing at the end of the day. Even if the world continued ugliness, selfishness, and violence. And I’ll keep looking for beauty, kindness, and truth wherever I may find it. So, whether my life is short or long from now, I aim to live abundantly.

Arianne Oliveros

Ever since I was a child I’ve always been pondering about life and death, I would always ask myself what is the meaning of life and if a person dies does it mean you’ve done your purpose in life? Life is lovely but not always easy; it has difficulties, too, and the task is to face them with bravery, allowing the beauty of life to function as a balm, easing the pain, and bringing hope through difficult times.

Death is one of the most difficult things to endure; while some people have coping mechanisms for it, it is still the scariest thing to face in life, and the death of someone important is perhaps the most difficult. Death is a painful experience for some, but it may also be a blessing.

Many deaths have occurred in my life.

I’ve never had someone close to me die, but I’ve cried over countless deaths that I know had a severe impact on the people I care about. Some people like to enjoy their life by doing all the things that they want to do, however, life isn’t also about surviving on your own in a society. It is unquestionably much more. As a result, quality of life is extremely important, and the ultimate goal should be to live a meaningful life. Connecting with our inner selves means that we have fully understood the importance of life.

Christian Morales

Life and death are intimately tied together. One can’t exist without the other. Life cannot keep going without end and death cannot happen without journey. Death is the ultimate point of all life. And that’s exactly what makes it the most terrifying of all. Not death itself, but the thought of dying. Everyone obviously enjoys living, but knowing at some point that it will end is what we all brace ourselves for. But even then, I don’t think it’s something we should have to fear. It’s an inescapable process that everyone and everything will go through. Though we may never fully accept it, I think instead of being fearful of that fact, we should just be thankful for what we have now and what we can continue to do with the rest of our life. That we’re still alive in the first place and that we can continue to enjoy everything. Not knowing what may happen tomorrow or what will happen for the rest of our days is the exact motivator that should motivate us to give it our all and to keep on enjoying what we do now. We may not really know what happens after death, but we know what we can do now. Knowing that we gave it our all and lived our lives to the fullest extent. I think that fact alone should give us solace for when we eventually pass.

Knowing we didn’t waste our lives living foolishly, but that we did it content and with purpose.

Christian Coscolluela

During this pandemic, I realized a lot of things about life and death. Some of my friends’ family passed away. I also noticed that most of my batchmates’ loved ones are now resting in peace. As I got older, I realized that life is short. I learned that we should capture, enjoy and cherish every moment we have.

We should value our loved ones while they are still beside us because we don’t know when is the time that they will rest peacefully. There are times that you will encounter unexpected situations which are shocking or worst but in the end, you learn and reflect from it. According to Faith Salivan, “Sometimes, the best things in life are unexpected”. As far as I know, most people were suffering from mental illness especially suicide.

Some people want to face death because they are already tired of life or they feel exhausted, and would only want to give up. In my perspective, they don’t want to die but rest because they feel empty, drained and restless because of what is happening in life right now. I think that some of the reasons why they are like that are because they lack motivation, pressure due to demanding tasks, toxic relationships, and family issues. I firmly believe that in life, we need to padayon but we should not forget our pahuway.

We also deserve to take a break and reflect on things in life. You cannot function properly if you don’t rest. Protect your physical and mental health at all costs because you matter.

Aledale Cadena REFLECTIONS | 23

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