Besides finally seeing a rehabilitation medicine physician for symptoms that have been bothering me for a month, one of the highlights of my week was returning to my alma mater, University of Rizal System Angono to grace this year's Recognition Day. Contrary to the past two instances, my schedule this year had allowed me to accept the invitation given that I was informed two months prior to the event. Next to my week-long vacation last February, I had to extend my vacation this month for one more day as the ceremony fell to the date next to Easter Monday which was an Australian Holiday.
Time for a photo op just before the ceremonial march starts. This is me with the campus director, Dr. Hermy Estrabo (formerly from URS Morong campus) and my former History professor, Ma'am Achie Elvina who is.currently the dean of College of Arts and Letters, the department where I belonged back during my student days. A lot of things had seriously changed given that I had left the university 10 years ago. Case in point, in 2005, I was the one listening to the guest speaker and fast forward to last Tuesday, all eyes and ears are on me.
I wouldn't hide it, I had a wonderful time attending the said event. Part of me still could not believe that it has been a decade. As I was being ushered and escorted by faculty members who used to be my teachers, I was having this recollection that I used to walk through these halls as a 20-year old student back then. Where did 10 years go? It is not something in my bucket list though, but being a guest speaker, just like attending an event with someone in politics (in formal outfits) was once among my wishes. And those were accidental wishes that eventually became a reality.
I've always felt nervous with public speaking but this one unexpectedly changed that. Delivering a speech right in front of a lot of people have always been a scary task for me but when I pulled this one off during the Recognition Day, there was no fear pumping my veins at all -- which was a weird thing to me. For once, my spirit felt so serene in front of the students who were listening to my story as a student then and as a professional now. All the stress of thinking what to tell the students and how to inspire them eventually became worth it after seeing my former professors and being encouraged by my boss and my family too.
It has been days since the event but things still linger on. And the whole thing to me is new and overwhelming given that I was not used to it. I am not used to the attention as I have kept and trying to keep a low-key life. Receiving congratulatory messages from people and hearing from them how proud and inspiring I became made me feel (silently) overwhelmed at one point it made me cry.
The day before the event I remember telling a former professor, I don't know what they saw in me to choose me to be the one to speak at the event. At 30, I don't own a car, nor do I own and lead a company or have the title like Dr. or Atty. on my name. I only have a job that I treasure and community volunteer activities to devote time to. Whatever it is, I just learn to think that it was what God wanted for me. Despite my fears that I won't be able to attend and not knowing what to say, He made things to work according to His plan. While I was looking for answers if I really am successful 10 years after leaving the school, God made a way to make me realize that my life can be an inspiration too--success, trials, handicaps and all.
