The Sky

There are some things in life which will forever interest us. It could be as little as a pen as long as
one finds profound meaning in it. One thing that continues to bewilder me is the celestial heaven--the sky.

I especially love the sky when it is in the shade of light blue. Its brightness makes me feel hopeful. When the clouds way up high are fluffy and cotton candy-like, I feel relaxed and at ease. It's vastness, for me, is a daily indication of God's greatness. It is almost like God or at least one of His angels is coming down from the heavens whenever the sunlight beams cinematic-ally through the clouds.

The sky will eternally be exhilarating for me; its hue, clouds, and vastness will never fail to amaze me.

My first week back in school

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday; my first week back to school all began and ended with no lasting memories made in between. It has been, by far, the gloomiest week of my college life. I can't help but ask: Is there something wrong with me? Am I unhappy primarily because I don't want to be here? The questions go on and on.

Every waking moment of the past week seemed very difficult to face. Have you ever woken up just to find yourself looking for something to keep you going? Well, I have. It sure wasn't fun. Unenthusiastic, unmotivated, and undetermined. Those three words accompanied me on my first week of school. Sure, my first week certainly has no significant impact on the course of my life but I guess.. what I can do now is to continue being hopeful; hopeful for a brighter day. I know exactly what I need: motivation, determination, and focus. But where do I find motivation? What can push me to be determined? How can I focus and detract myself from my own disturbing thoughts of despair? I am fairly certain that I cannot answer these questions overnight. Maybe I just have to keep on going and maybe, just maybe, somewhere in the middle I'll find the answers. But for now, as days go by and fades into nights, I will continue being hopeful.

Most people say that education begins at home; does this saying also apply to education regarding sex? Does education have to begin at home? What about those families who simply taboo’s the subject of intercourse?

Sex education, as defined by Wikipedia, is a broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behavior. Recently, the Department of Education in the Philippines discussed the need of implementing sex education in our country. But according to an article in The Manila Times Online and Print copy, dated June 22, 2010, DepEd decided to “hold in abeyance” integration of sex education in the basic curriculum due to misunderstandings and debates surfacing,. DepEd, however, will implement the program after they consult the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Phillipines (CBCP) and others who obstruct the plan.

The Department of Education’s secretary, Mona Valisno said that DepEd is open to revising contents the sex education modules if such modules go against Christian Values. According to DepEd, the increasing number of teenage pregnancies is truly alarming. Most teenagers who are pregnant are mostly from the lowest class of society. However, the church completely contradicts the plan of actualizing sex education in the Philippines because they firmly believe that education regarding intercourse should be taught at home; parents should take full responsibility of educating their children about this delicate matter. In the same article, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) executive secretary, Lawyer Jo Aurea Imbong explained that sex education violates certain laws such as: the primary right of parents to the development of the moral character of their children, right of families or family associations to participate in planning and implementing policies affecting them, right of spouses to find an institution according to their religious beliefs, sanctity and protection of family life, violation of marriage as an inviolable social institution and as the foundation of the family that merits the protection of the state. According to her, sex education even in developed countries does not even show progress in educating young children on safe sex. She also added that the fact that more contraceptives are aimed at the young, the more pregnancies, abortions, promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases will result.

I completely side with the Department of Education; the need for sex education in our country is becoming more and more evident. The way I see it, the Church is completely closing their minds regarding the idea of implementing sex education in our country. Apparently, sex is a huge taboo to them. I agree that parents should take full responsibility in educating their children concerning sex; I firmly believe that it should be talked about at home. Yet, I still side with the Department of Education because I am completely aware that we have such a conservative culture and that most parents chose not to discuss intercourse with their children. What about the great number of homes where sex is a forbidden subject? Where and how can the children living in these homes learn how to properly manage their sexual well-being if they can’t talk about it at home and in school? Indeed, sex is delicate matter which is why we have to face and give importance to these subject; we cannot just ignore it. As previously discussed, Imbong stated that implementing sex education violates the primary right of the parents in their child’s development. Literacy regarding sex is also a part of a child’s development whether the parents want it or not. It is a fact of life. How can they asses the proper development of their children regarding this matter when they only neglect this part of their child’s development? It is also believed that sex education violates the right to sanctity and protection of family life. How can a parent protect his family especially his children if he keeps them oblivious of reality?

We cannot just let young children go out to the real world, assuming that they will somehow figure out how they are going to properly deal with sex. Sex is a relevant matter, we should affront it. Ignorance can never save young children, or anyone for that matter, from getting pregnant or having sexual diseases.

Funny

Read this from Reader's Digest

At the supermarket one day, I noticed a woman with four boys and a baby. Her patience was wearing thin as the boys persistently called out "MUMMY!" while she was trying to shop.
Finally she blurted out: "I don't want to hear the word 'Mummy' for at least the next ten minutes!"
The boys fell silent for a few seconds. Then one tugged on his mother's dress and said softly. "Excuse me, Miss."


HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA. Cracks me up every time I read it.

A sudden burst of thought

If you really want something, go grab it.
Destiny will not wait for you.

If you want something, go get it.
Don't watch it slip away.

Don't wait.
Coz chances are, someone's also waiting on the other side.

Don't anticipate that moment when no matter how you try, no matter how you exert effort, you just won't get it back.

Fairytales

And they lived happily ever after--the line most common to fairy tales. When one is young, it's easy to believe such. When one is innocent from the realms of life, it's effortless to become hopeful. Yet, as time passes by, we realize how life is different from fairy tales. We begin to see that Prince Charming doesn't always save the day, sometimes it has to be the Princess; we begin to discern that life is an ongoing process, it'll never stop to a "happily ever after". Sad it may be, but I think it's better to live in reality that to live in fairy tales.

In reality, hurt is felt deeply but same it is with love. Love in reality cannot just be expressed by happy thoughts or singing wonderful melody. It is much more than that. It cannot even be explained by words. Reality is indeed REAL, and fairy tales, although they are stories which mostly end with happiness, are just FANTASY.

But how come most adults still watch fairy tales? Easy. They miss that child in them. They miss how untroublesome it once was to be filled with so much hope. Every fairy tale certainly has its magic; it makes one hopeful even though they have gone through the toughest challenges of life. ♥

P.S
Will be watching Toy Story 3 this weekend! :D

News from bbc.com/news

Large numbers of heavily-oiled pelicans have been rescued from the polluted waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

Some of the birds are being looked after at a special warehouse in Fort Jackson, Louisiana, where, after treatment for dehydration, they are left to rest before undergoing a vigorous wash.

The birds are released in five to seven days after they have had time to recover.

Rebecca Dunne, who manages the Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, says that about 50 to 100 birds arrive at the facility every day, adding pressure on the already stretched workforce.

For more info: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10300091.stm