By Fernando Perfas
My college years were perhaps one of the most memorable periods of my life. There were not much good times, instead there were many challenges. I have no romantic memories to cherish of the time, and while many of my peers were involved in serious relationships, I preferred to be reclusive. Although I attempted to woo a few women whom I found attractive, my heart was not really into it and my half-hearted efforts did not get me anywhere. It was a low point in my life, and having lost the financial support of my foster parents because I turned eighteen I found myself completely on my own. In addition, the academic demands of college were overwhelming and kept me feeling anxious and depressed most of the time. Despite the heavy feeling that comes with reminiscing that part of my past, it was a crucial time of my life. The struggle and hardship of that period brought out the best in me. I may have felt lousy about myself but my mind was keen and alive. Every challenge that came my way forced me to dig deep and tap on my inner resources. While some of my peers complained about the college curricula which required too many courses in humanities such as ethics, philosophy, language, etc., all of which had no practical or economic value in the world of work, so they claimed, I simply was grateful to be in college and happy to be taking all these courses. My college experience was an eye-opener for me. During this time my intellectual curiosity had grown to such an extent that I hungered for more knowledge. My deep yearning to understand who I am led me to a wild chase of all types and sources of inner experiences and "enlightenment." I took school work seriously and spent most of my time in a kind of personal quest of some sort. Intellectually and spiritually it was an exciting time; romantically, however, it was the pits for me. Luckily, I fell into a circle of like-minded friends who became my most important sources of social and emotional support. Although I was still floundering, I gradually became grounded and settled on a life direction that I wanted to pursue with some certainty. Very often when things are going our way, the happiest times may not be the crowning moments in our lives. The times when we are faced with great challenges, when the demands of life seem to exceed our capacities, those are our unforgettable moments. Those are the moments we look back with awe and wonderment. Those are our triumphs over adversities that helped define who we are. Those are the moments when we dig deep within ourselves that lead us to discover our inner resources. The mountains we climb, the deep valleys we descend are obstacles and landmarks in our journey through life. We stumble and slide, each setback demanding strength and resolve every time, and each time we get up we become stronger. We are all victors in this battlefield call life for we count not the number of times we fall but rather the number of times we pick ourselves up. We only lose when we surrender and give up. A book on love and a coming of age in a land devastated by its long history under colonial rule. The book provides a tapestry of cultural life in the Philippines in the eyes of a youth trying to find himself and breakaway under the yoke of crunching poverty. Land of the Mourning a memoir
by Fernando B. Perfas
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fernando_Perfas
My college years were perhaps one of the most memorable periods of my life. There were not much good times, instead there were many challenges. I have no romantic memories to cherish of the time, and while many of my peers were involved in serious relationships, I preferred to be reclusive. Although I attempted to woo a few women whom I found attractive, my heart was not really into it and my half-hearted efforts did not get me anywhere. It was a low point in my life, and having lost the financial support of my foster parents because I turned eighteen I found myself completely on my own. In addition, the academic demands of college were overwhelming and kept me feeling anxious and depressed most of the time. Despite the heavy feeling that comes with reminiscing that part of my past, it was a crucial time of my life. The struggle and hardship of that period brought out the best in me. I may have felt lousy about myself but my mind was keen and alive. Every challenge that came my way forced me to dig deep and tap on my inner resources. While some of my peers complained about the college curricula which required too many courses in humanities such as ethics, philosophy, language, etc., all of which had no practical or economic value in the world of work, so they claimed, I simply was grateful to be in college and happy to be taking all these courses. My college experience was an eye-opener for me. During this time my intellectual curiosity had grown to such an extent that I hungered for more knowledge. My deep yearning to understand who I am led me to a wild chase of all types and sources of inner experiences and "enlightenment." I took school work seriously and spent most of my time in a kind of personal quest of some sort. Intellectually and spiritually it was an exciting time; romantically, however, it was the pits for me. Luckily, I fell into a circle of like-minded friends who became my most important sources of social and emotional support. Although I was still floundering, I gradually became grounded and settled on a life direction that I wanted to pursue with some certainty. Very often when things are going our way, the happiest times may not be the crowning moments in our lives. The times when we are faced with great challenges, when the demands of life seem to exceed our capacities, those are our unforgettable moments. Those are the moments we look back with awe and wonderment. Those are our triumphs over adversities that helped define who we are. Those are the moments when we dig deep within ourselves that lead us to discover our inner resources. The mountains we climb, the deep valleys we descend are obstacles and landmarks in our journey through life. We stumble and slide, each setback demanding strength and resolve every time, and each time we get up we become stronger. We are all victors in this battlefield call life for we count not the number of times we fall but rather the number of times we pick ourselves up. We only lose when we surrender and give up. A book on love and a coming of age in a land devastated by its long history under colonial rule. The book provides a tapestry of cultural life in the Philippines in the eyes of a youth trying to find himself and breakaway under the yoke of crunching poverty. Land of the Mourning a memoir
by Fernando B. Perfas
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fernando_Perfas
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