It takes a community
(Word Count: 1,167)
Most days, I spend my time on YouTube looking for something interesting to
watch. I came across this video by the Olympic Channel that chronicled Joseph
Schooling’s journey from childhood to becoming the fan that beat Michael Phelps in the
100m Men’s Butterfly at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The video highlighted how it takes the
effort of a community to really make great athletes. With this, we will explore how my
community helped me grow through the moral standards that I have learned through the
years.
Growing up as a Filipino, from the moment that we are able to speak coherent
words, we are taught to show respect by saying “po” and “opo” to our elders. This is the
first moral standard that I learned from my community. Respecting our elders is a moral
standard that is, I would say, ingrained in us Filipinos. It is very important because the
way I see it, it is showing that we acknowledge that we are still learning and that we
acknowledge the wisdom that they have accumulated throughout their lives. Now, let us
look at things in a smaller scale. The next section will detail the moral standards that I
have learned from my years as a Catholic school student and the lessons that my mom
has taught me.
Now, having had a Christian Living Education subject since I was in kindergarten,
one of the main things that have always been taught to us is Jesus’ preaching about
loving your neighbor as you love yourself. In conjunction with this, our teachers always
taught us the golden rule which is, to do to others as you would have them do to you.
On the other hand, as I became older, I became more aware of the situations of the
people that surround me, especially my mom. She would now tell me stories about what
transpires in her job. Through these stories, I was able to learn that a moral standard
that she always upholds is to do what is right even when the people around you are
doing wrong. She always made sure to do her job with great honesty and integrity, even
when her other co-workers are saying unpleasant things behind her back. These have
been great teachings and lessons that I have carried with me throughout the years.
Next, what is life without a little bit of fun? When we have moral standards, we
abide by, we surely will encounter moral dilemmas in our daily life. I have three that I
would like to share. Two from the past and one that I will definitely face in the future.
First, to cheat or not to cheat, even when I will most likely fail? This happened when I
was in Grade 10, I really pressured myself to maintain high grades because I did not
want to lose my scholarship on the next year. It was a quiz in Araling Panlipunan and at
that time I just really lost my will to study so I went into that quiz without reviewing much.
As soon as I saw the questions, I knew that I was going to fail because I did not
memorize anything. I heard the three girls at my back whispering among themselves the
answers. I really did not want to fail, and the answers were already basically handed to
me. To make the long story short, my moral standards prevailed, and I left those
numbers that I did not really know the answers to blank.
Second, this scenario happened when I was in elementary. My mom had just
gotten a microwave and I was trying the microwave cookies and mug cake recipes that I
could find on YouTube. The next thing I know, I drop one of my mom’s precious ceramic
plates that I had been using. I was really feeling guilty the whole day just waiting for her
to come home from work. She got home and she did not notice anything. I was relieved
but still feeling guilty at that time because she will find out sooner or later. I was
debating whether I would tell her or not. This is where taking responsibility for my
actions come in. Despite my fear of being scolded, I told her that I broke a plate and
instead of being scolded my mom asked me if I was okay and if I did not cut myself.
Things worked themselves out perfectly in the end.
Lastly, this dilemma is always one that we would face during the elections. I
firmly believe that each vote counts because if you think that your vote does not count
and a million people think the same way, then we would be losing a million votes. In line
with this, I am reminded of the line that is always mentioned at the end of my favorite
favorite podcast. The hosts, Soriano and Villarosa (2020), “Magparehistro ka para sa
bakuna para mabuhay ka at magparehistro ka naman para bumoto para mabuhay
naman ang iba”. It matters who we choose to vote because they will be the ones in
charge of our community. If I vote for someone, they must be able to cater to the needs
of my fellow Filipinos, most especially those who are marginalized. During this
pandemic, our government’s lack of plans has led to the unemployment, hunger and
even death of those who are poor. That is why the election is one big moral dilemma
that our community will always face.
The outcome of the scenarios that I have mentioned were the way they were
because that is how I was taught and raised by the community that I live in. I sometimes
encounter situations that make me say, “But I was not taught that way” and it has made
me realize that compared to other people’s cultures my community has always taught
me to stick with my principles. Aside from the guilt that will eat you up from the inside,
for me it is also knowing that you are actually encouraging other people to do what is
wrong just because everyone else is already doing it. In the end, everyone will be at a
disadvantage. I was able to appreciate and appreciate the need for ethics, thanks to the
people I grew up with and those who raised me.
Truly, my community set me on the right track. I think of it as setting me up for
success. It made me more sensitive to how other people will be affected by my
decisions and actions. The moral standards I have learned, growing up, became pillars
in the way that I dealt with other people in relation to the decisions that I had to make.
The different moral dilemmas that I have faced made me realize just how important it is
to uphold what is morally right. Just like how Joseph Schooling’s community helped him
become an esteemed Olympian, my community also helped me develop into someone
who values and upholds her moral standards.