A Penny for Your Thoughts…

The moment I stepped within the portals of law school, I knew my life was going to change. But when I thought of change then, I had envisioned change in the form of new friends, new people to interact with, new environment, new field (I had premed –B.S. Pharmacy- as my prelaw course!), new lifestyle and even a new clock (biological clock that is). Maybe to some this would probably sound stupid, but I didn’t think my perception of things or life would change. In my defense, thinking this wasn’t at all stupid. I guess it was a sign of my maturity (or lack of it) then. These were my concerns. These were the things that mattered to me.

After one semester passed, and even despite the uncertainty of whether or not I could go on in the same law school, I knew I wouldn’t get out of law school empty handed – not even after just barely 5 months of law school. Somehow, that one semester (I thought then) was enough to give me that confidence I never had before. And it wasn’t about finishing law school, or graduating from a good school, or becoming a lawyer even. It was about the knowledge I had gained from that brief time spent in law school. Learning about the law, the government, the justice system, my rights, the rights of others, and its corresponding obligations.

As fate would have it, I finished law in the same law school I started at. And it wasn’t an easy feat but just because it wasn’t easy that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a fun ride – tho that’s a story for another time. ☺

Anyway my point is that a lot of people have no idea how much knowledge, can empower them. By empowering I mean the capacity to deal with life and everything that comes with it. Taking it in the context of our society, knowledge is a luxury reserved for but a few privileged people (with the exception of a handful we can call lucky). 

I grew up in the province and count myself lucky and part of the privileged few who were able to finish post graduate studies in a prestigious school here in the Philippines. Now, I live in the big city, and while I knew ignorance existed in abundance in the province I cannot help but notice that it is the same in the big city. Maybe a lot of people in poor, undeveloped and neglected areas of this country are illiterate due to the lack of faclilities, if not access to the same in their part of the world, or maybe sometimes even if there are, they are unable to go to because they too have too work at a young age just to put enough food on the table.

Knowledge, in this day and age, has become another asset to be traded in the streets. It has become an expensive investment. And like any other asset or merchandise – knowledge can be hoarded, monopolized, regulated, denied and even manipulated by the powerful. Again, I am not saying that I am…

But ignorance does not necessarily mean illiteracy. Just because one can read and write, doesn’t mean you are not ignorant.

Maybe all these musings were brought about by certain current events, but this is one of the subjects I feel most strongly about. INJUSTICE. Life isnt fair I know, but we can certainly cushion the blow by at least providing equal opportunities for everyone. Even to my own ears, these words sound too idealistic to the point of naivete but I stand by them. We all could use a dose of idealism every now and then. I do not claim to have all the answers or solutions to the problems we are currently facing.