How I Dwelt in Diversity

Hearing others disclose about their painful childhood is sort of a far-fetched thing for me. Although I was raised by a strict, protective, and totalitarian father, I would still choose undergoing the same whenever I need to return to my early days.

I neither heard any of my cousins got reprimanded or disciplined by their parents with a belt, stick or slipper, nor should I ever witness them weeping for their suppressed commands, demands, or requests. Unlike me, I’d gone thru enough.

I remember the time when my father first allowed me to stay late out at night and that was when I had to practice for a presentation in high school. I was a sophomore then. Extra-curricular activities weren’t just appropriate for me prior to that. Hence, to study hard was all I had to do.

Aside from being a consistent honor student, I managed to be excessively active in school, civic & religious organizations. Except singing solo, name it---I DID ALL SHOWS…folk, jazz, modern & interpretative dancing, singing with chorale, poster & slogan making, cooking, drumming, choreographing, designing, directing, declaiming, essay & news writing, and editorial cartooning.

Before graduating from high school, I held several clubs…even that one for the entire school as their Vice Governor. I was a member of almost all competing groups (seemed like a bar fly); hence, I was being tagged as disloyal. I believed majority in school and in town knew me well then. Consequently, I’d let myself much more accessible when I won the race in Sangguniang Kabataan Elections as Youth Chairman. That time, I was also in college.

Academics and Activities just went jointly with me. My parents did accept the fact that a sober child in a calm environment had turned out to be a dynamic teen in a diverse society.

Notes: The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) (Youth Council) is the governing body in every chapter of the Katipunan ng Kabataan (Youth Federation). Each barangay in thePhilippines is mandated by law to have its own chapter of the Katipunan ng Kabataan in which the members elect their officers called as the Sangguniang Kabataan.

A barangay, also known by its former Spanish adopted name, the barrio, is the smallestadministrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village,district or ward.

#sk #sangguniangkabataan