Sunday, September 24, 2006
Past Forward
The recent power struggle in Thailand made me relive my days as Student Council President in High School. Don't get me wrong. Nobody wanted to revoke my presidency. :) It was just that as president, I usually had to lead the school in partisan rallies -- rallies can go from standing against nuclear proliferation to speaking up against constitutional change.
At 17, my main priority as a "leader" was to be remembered. I wanted things to happen so that people will remember me as "one of the greatest presidents of all time." However, when I returned to my high school a year and a half later, no one really cared that I was president or what I did -- being president was just one-line on my CV.
It was a sad realization but it is also an obvious example of how I tended to focus on the shallow and unimportant things. In the end, what matters is not really what you have accomplished but how you as a leader was able to make the most of the experience and how you have created an impact on (at least some) people's lives. It was a lesson learned the hard way but I was lucky to have learned it early on in life.
Though I did not really realize the dream to be in my school's history books, I do not think that my year as president of my high school student council was a waste! :) If not for this experience, I would not have the privilege of having people like JC in my life. :)
Ninnin and JC somewhere out there. :)
JC was such a joy to be with. She had this undescribable laughter that rang through most of our meetings and late-night cramming for events like the bandfest. I recall that she was my best source of gossip about each and every living soul in our school. She also had the wittiest sense of humor. I remember laughing my heart out with her about that ridiculous fan dance we had for our senior year and how we secretly mocked our teachers and people from the lower year levels. :)
I must confess I was not very good at keeping in touch with JC. She gave more effort than I did. :( But how I regret not keeping up-to-date with what's going on with her! She is one of those people with whom I can connect with humor-wise. I can only imagine the laughter wasted by not keeping in contact with her all these years. I am sure that if we meet up now, our level of sarcasm would definitely click. :)
Time may have been lost between us but that bond, that memory, that one year will always have space in my heart. I am sure that the potential of our friendship was not tainted by the lack of communication in the past few years. We are young and we have lots of years to still share between us. Even though distance and, perhaps ambition, has separated us for now, one true thing remains: my high school life would not have been as fun without JC. If only for that, I am sure to keep JC in my life. :)
To JC, I know you hate reading blogs, but I hope you read this one. Hope you ace your graduate course in Singapore. Hug Amanda for me! :)
---
Thanks to Carmina and Leeyaj for the nice comments on my writing. :)
0 comments:
Post a comment »