Let me fill in the gaps for you. I will tell you a few clips from my years as a college student 10 years ago.
When I was a first year college student, I was a newcomer settling in manila. I remember that night when I got lost somewhere in Sta. Cruz, Manila with a big red bag filled with my laundry. It was late at night and there were no cabs to hail, I was worried to find myself alone and lost in a new place. Like in old movies, I was desperately walking by the empty market with lamp posts flickering and whispered a little prayer, “Lord, please help me. Give me a sign.”. To my turn, I saw the blue cross of UST main building. I was relieved knowing that if I follow that cross, I know I am on the right way.
When I was in Second Year College, for our Advertising Practice 3, our professor told us the rules in advertising. Rule number 1, there are no rules. Rule number 2, if there are rules, break them. And so we did as our professor has told us. We painted outside the canvas, wrote poetries without words, stole photographic memories and reasoned beyond comprehension. We learned to think outside the box.
When I was in Third Year College, I enrolled photography. As a final requirement for that subject we had to make a coffee table book. I was looking for a beautiful subject for photography when I noticed my classmates’ work of arts on their skins. I proposed to my professor to take pictures of body art. Along the process of my research, I got encouraged by this unique form of artwork and told myself that I wanted to have one. So one morning, in a shop in Ermita, I got a blue oriental dragon on my nape. For me, the dragon represents heaven, the tiger represents the earth, and I am the man in between. Perhaps you’re asking, where is the tiger?
On my senior years in college, my thesis was about visual merchandising for a popular t-shirt company. Those were the days when sleep was just an option, where the computer was always turned-on, the cellphone was always on hand and coffee ran in our bloodstream. I remember not sleeping for 2 weeks before my final endorsement and literally passed out right after my defense. I had revisions for my thesis, so it took me another 3 days before I finally got a real good night sleep.
Today, I went to the registrar’s office to assess my enrolment. After 5 years, here I am again standing in line as a college student. With a notable difference, for today I am also a seminarian.
I never got lost in entering the seminary for I was properly guided, and I know it will continue along the formation years ahead. Sometimes, I still beg God for signs and they are given everyday in different ways through your presence.
Rules, the seminary is filled with rules, and I try to follow them now. Do I feel restricted? Suffocated? “Encapsulated”? Sometimes, yes. But now I am starting to see the beauty of thinking inside the box.
The tiger is my favorite land animal, I never got that tattoo to represent the ground I’m standing on, but here in the seminary, I learned the value of becoming down to earth in instances where I am humbled by situations.
I always get a good night sleep, no more need to stay up late just to get the job done. Powered by work and prayer, I do get things done.
My dear formators and fellow seminarians, thank you for the past few months of becoming signs to follow, rules to practice, ground to stand on and help to get things done. Good evening.
