the power of example

I remember that Crystalina Padilla, chastity advocate, once said, "Never underestimate the power of a person's testimony." (or rather, the testimony of a person's character, example, or life, to paraphrase.) That's not the most articulate of statements, I must admit, but then again, I don't think she was that articulate when she made that comment anyway (hehe)...but context-wise, I understood what she meant.

Crystalina was 15 when she lost her virginity and started sleeping with other people. She then spoke of how there was this one person in school who did not sleep around even when everyone around her were. Everybody ridiculed her for being a virgin but she would just shrug it off and ignore what they said. The girl's attitude was like, "You know what, I know I am a treasure and I don't care what you say." And though Crystalina and everyone else in school mocked her, deep inside, they admired her for her strength.

Francis Kong says he uses an "advertising" method with his son. Since an advertisement is basically a message that is brought to an audience in the best way possible to create an impression and effect desired recall, he tries to use the same method with his son when he tries to communicate life lessons to him. In that way, he wouldn't have to repeat himself again and again to his son, thereby drawing his ire. So he said to his son, "You know son, a decision you make in three seconds can make or break you. When someone offers you joint or drugs or invites you to go to places of ill repute, it only takes three seconds to make the choice to say no or to go with it." And Francis Kong would use the 'three-second concept' to remind his son of the need to make good decisions in life and how important these decisions would be. He would just hold up three fingers to his son at crucial times without repeating again what he said.

Okay so I know the above anecdotes were solemnly but clumsily related...hehe..I apologize. Francis Kong actually did his 'three-second thing' even better. He took it from the basketball game, I think. Sorry! I was just skimming!

Anyway, I am just relating it here because I was recalling it while in the cab I was taking earlier. In those three seconds, make that important choice. It may seem small but it IS an important decision. I understand that is the multitude of three-second moments that make up our life that decide and define the kind of person we turn out to be.

Now I have a very impressionable mind. And I am prone to influence which is why I don't find it easy to go against the flow of what everybody else seems to think. And when I feel as though life or circumstances or everybody else is against me, it's easy to resort to using foul language as a way of demonstrating ultimate resistance. In my mind, I imagined myself holding up three fingers to them - the pointer, the middle, and the ring - and asking, "Do you wanna know how to peel a banana?" But then I remember one person I admire a lot - Don. And how he never seems to be spouting off foul language, not even when everybody else were doing so. He just didn't do it. He just doesn't curse, cuss or swear. And right now, I am terribly glad that he never did that, because I am finding strength and lesson from his example right now. It helps that someone showed class. It helps that someone showed example. The right kind.

And then there was Rich. I remembered when we were in law school my professor was going on and on about how there was no objective truth, that all truth was relative. And he spoke about his own convictions and about how he disagreed with the statement of all truth as relative. And I recall that I admired him that time for speaking out, and standing up for his convictions. (Law professor yun, ano! It was first year, first sem and our reputation and grades were at the subjective hands of our professors!!) So when my trainer last week started going on and on about how there was no objective truth, that all truth was relative, I spoke out about my own convictions. I spoke of my beliefs. In my own way, I was pulling a Rich. Thanks Rich. It helped that you showed strength and example.

Anyway, I have to end at this point because chores are waiting for me. I don't want to end this post cheesily and I have no time to ponder on how to end this so...The end. Bow.

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