Ika 2 ng Hunyo 2009: Crossroads

I just arrived at the office, late as useless...... Like any other day, the first thing I did was to turn my PC on...... signed on my messenger..... clicked on the new email icon which automatically prompts me to my mozilla saved sites. I was simultaneously opening documents I'll work on today. I checked my yahoo mail. Nothing urgent or unusual. I opened it one at a time. Then, I have this email from one of my academe group..... from the old school where we all used to work. It kept on moving to the last line all the time, I thought I got a virus. Then, I let it settle on its own. I thought it was one of her forwarded mails as I started reading the last part because it kept on settling there...... but there was some drama..... some kind of urgency in the message. I wanted to make sure it was not one of those hoax messages that makes one a sucker for taking the bait. I slowly moved the cursor up. I tried to do this several times but it kept moving to the last part like it has a life of its own. Finally when it settled, I read her entire email.

I was not surprised she was abroad..... she always is. She teaches international relations and tourism subjects. Part of the curriculum is to allow the students to travel to selected foreign destinations. She's also a constant traveler..... so hearing from her while she is abroad is no longer new.

However as I continued reading, I would be stunned this morning. She has long told us about her desire to teach in a foreign university. She would still not get it this time because of the very stringent requirement on earning a doctorate. However, she was offered a job in the travel sector..... And here comes the shocker. She accepted it and left her stable and good job here. And this she did without our knowledge.

I am not sure how long she's been there. We have not seen each one for quite some time. We don't get to see each other frequently but would regularly meet monthly or bi-monthly for coffee or to eat out. Come to think of it, I couldn't recall the last time we met. I thought they were all busy with their load with the school year about to start. I am always in the normal pace of the school life because my school operates on a trimester. It's not as if I have a long vacation.

The reason she is telling us now is because she has been having second thoughts about her decision. Besides, she really could not keep to herself for so long. So many things happened since she left and now she's contemplating about returning here. She rapped about her impulsive decision and worry about starting anew. Apparently, she was being prevailed upon by the dean of the college to stay but went on to pursue her dream. I would not blame her for her decision. At that time, it would have been the best given her circumstances. However, the wheel of life keeps turning and we would not know where it would lead us. She found her own answer. She knows that she can haggle her way around and would eventually find the road back. Being a woman of wisdom, I believe her. However it turns out, I will always support her decision.

Like my friend, ED is at the crossroad as she enters Medicine Proper, the point where the women are separated from the girls and the man from the boys. Today is their orientation. I was asking if she needed her dad or I to come with her. She said it was not necessary and none in their block are bringing a parent along. Well just two years ago, I was the proud mom who accompanied her in their orientation where the administrators welcome the new batch of intarmed students and extolled them for making it through the tough selection process. At the same time, their eyes were opened to the realities of the choice that they made. I was just watching but was beaming proud along with all the parents in that hall. Their orientation might not have the same meaning as it had two years ago. They were shoo-in for Medicine proper as intarmed students. Still, the meaning is never lost on me as my daughter continues to make us proud.

PS: Nasira na nman ang skedyul ko dahil sa trabaho. Dapat ay sasama ako sa anak ko bukas sa eskwelahan para makapag-apply siya ng student loan. Ako kasi ang guarantor ng loan. Nalaman ko na lang na me miting pala bukas para ipresenta sa mga malalaking boss ang mga ginawa namin. Nakakasira talaga ng skedyul ang trabaho.....