Countless Success and First Breaking Frustration

I WAS NOT EXPECTING THINGS WOULD CRACK OUT THIS WAY!

When I registered my name in the Education Department, I have no reservations that I can make it until the last. I did all my best in each subject and very rewarded to be given high grades virtually in all subjects by the closing of semesters. There are also subjects I attain low grades but you can count it with your fingers. With such account, I graduated as one of the honor students. Yes, not all can do such feat. That honor is not only attached to my name, I share it with my parents. I may not constantly listen to them say it but I am quite certain they are full of pride of me. This is a success.

Right after graduation, I have no plan of getting a job because I made a decision to focus on reviewing for the Licensure Examination for Teachers. However, things transpire if it must and no one can stop it. I was convinced by my classmate Carla to submit a resume in the school she was hired as teacher. On the day I submitted my resume, I was instantaneously hired. Therefore, I had my first teaching experience at APMI and I enjoyed the whole kit and caboodle about it. There are no regrets. I shared the days and nights with teachers that are always on the go, I had educated the best students, I laughed a lot, and most of all I raise the value of the life God has intended for me. It was merely 10 months yet it felt like forever. That is another success.

Six months after my graduation, I took the Licensure Examination for Teachers, September 25, 2011 to be exact. It was a day with combined easy, average, difficult and very difficult questions. The Professional Education questions were easy but the Major Field questions were all mind blowing and it was given in the afternoon, we all had drained half of our brains already. There were too many computations because my Major is Physical Sciences. I tried to calculate all computations and so glad to get similar answer to the options given, however there are those computations I do not even know where originated. While waiting for the results to be disclosed to the public, I sensed uneasiness whenever it came on my thoughts. Although, I am confident that I passed the exam, I am not in terms of getting high rating that is very important in ranking. November 17, 2011 when I received a text message telling the result was released. My initial reaction was to ask if I was in the list and it was confirmed when I saw my name on it. Yeah, that adds to the list of success stories of mine.

I learned that I passed the exam but it does not end there. A week or two passed, we can now verify our ratings through the Professional Regulation Commission’s website. I was just expecting a 75 or 76 rating but what I saw was 80.2 and that is high.

A month later, I was told that there is a ranking going on. My aunt gave me a call and gives me instructions. When the call ends, I weigh things because in that time, I was already enjoying the environment of my workplace and I was not yet ready for public school so I was hesitant. What made me decide to apply for ranking was the statement by my aunt, “Do it for your mom!” Yes, that made things easier; I want to help mom with the expenses. Not only that, the salary I was receiving was not even enough for me. I was actually two days late for the ranking process but there are things that occur behind the stage. Four months later, the result was posted but to my surprise, my name was not on the list. Initially, I sent a text message to my aunt to ask the reasons for the name of the applicant to be not included in the list. She replied with two options, it is either my name was omitted or I failed to receive a rating of 50%. As a calming mechanism, I was reassuring myself that my case was the first but I cannot help it to be afraid. To stop me from guessing, I entered the Promotion Office and asked for my result that was actually not yet posted, it was omitted. That surely makes me cool, calm and collected. Moreover, I fall on Category A that means group of qualified applicants that are first prioritized for vacant items.

Due to that result, one school head from Magarao informed me that her school has vacant item and asked me if I was interested, I said yes. This school head arranged one afternoon to talk with me. She said I needed to get a certificate of good standing at PRC for the reason that it is needed for the approval of the recommendation letter. May 6, 2012, I go to Legaspi to request the required certification but to my dismay, I cannot have it for my license is not yet processed. I refer this matter to my aunt, she told me that maybe I can present any document that will prove I am a so-called licensed teacher. However, around 6:33 PM, she called with her frustrating message. She told me that I would not be recommended if I would not obtain my good standing certificate. She even made a call to the Superintendent and asked if I can supply other document but it was not approved.

That was frustrating and I came to blame the Professional Regulation Commission – Bicol. I was told during my registration that I can claim my license after three months but it has been five months yet it is not yet available. Now, they are telling me I can have it by June.

I have undergone the correct process and have qualified the position. I guess, there is a need to consider that I am a new passer so I cannot provide all the requirements. Just like what my aunt said, I made an effort to obtain it. My point, since I am already in the system maybe they can allow me to submit the paper when my license is released.

Another thing, if I would not get the vacant item I would have to wait for another post again. I am sure that would be for a couple of months and that is a long time of waiting.

Really, this is a complete illustration of the starting line of Mariah Carey’s song “I Wish You Well.”

When glory days turn to stormy night,

You must have been so petrified.

What can I do now? I might just pray that things will work out fine again. I am crossing my fingers, hoping and continuously hoping… I am leaving this thing to the Lord. I am sure He has His plans for me and if this is not yet my time, a better one will eventually be provided for me.

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Wow, this became very long. Thanks for reading this verbose writing. I needed this one, BADLY.

A Story of Appreciation

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the first interview; the director did the last interview, made the last decision. The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score. The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none". The director asked, “Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees. The director asked, “Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect. The director asked, “Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than I can. The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid. The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water. This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes every day to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future. After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother. That night, mother and son talked for a very long time. Next morning, the youth went to the director's office. The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: “Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?" The youth answered, “I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes' The Director asked, “please tell me your feelings." The youth said, Number 1, I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, there would not be the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship. The director said, “This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired. Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously. A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead? You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a house cleaner, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow grey, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done. You would have forwarded many mails to too many and many of them would have back mailed you too...but try and forward this story to as many as possible...this may change somebody's fate. >>anonymous