I asked my driver yesterday if he graduated from high school. Oo daw, but he never took up any vocational course. His aptitude kasi is so low. Instead of noticing some improvements, I feel like he is even retrogressing by the day.
Driving for me could be tricky and more challenging. Easy and difficult at the same time. One must possess some quick thinking and at least average intelligence quotient, to deal with my quirks on a day to day basis. I demand a high level of comprehension. With the salary we are giving, we should get college graduates actually.
Aside from just starting the ignition key and making the car move, our drivers must have excellent knowledge of Metro Manila and a fairly good understanding of some of the surrounding towns. It’s more tiring to be a back seat driver, commanding the clueless driver. Many times, I wanted to grab the manubela. It’s so hard to travel like a giraffe, my neck craned to see what’s ahead, my legs tensed and my arms holding on to my seat.
Drivers nowadays are so demanding than college graduate employees. They want higher than average pay, more benefits, free 4x meals, overtime, etc. I do not know how this kind of mentality and culture came about. O baka dito lang sa amin because they see us differently.
Their expectations are higher.
I see the increase in aptitude level from a non-college grad to a more educated counterpart. Although there are people with in-born intelligence, people who are less educated have a different way of comprehending motions, things, and processing of thoughts.
As our population increases, it would be more difficult to find jobs. But if you are better educated, I see no disadvantage.
The wife of my nephew is now a nurse. I see a good future for them. Before she went back to school, her days were spent at their house, caring for her kids and husband. Now, she is happier, she has an achievement all her own. She feels empowered. She has gained a whole new experience and perspective about life. She interacts with hundreds of new people, she feels her value in the lives of patients she’s tasked to care for at the hospital. She now walks with full confidence. She’s a nurse. A profession that is greatly respected.
My parents’ dream for all of us was to finish college in a good university. That’s all they asked. And when Edmund and I were starting our own family, that was also our dream. To be able to send our children through college. Hindi na kailangan ang may honor-honor. Basta maka-graduate lang, kahit anong 4 year course. Ang baba ng requirement namin. At least they could find jobs. Hindi sila magugutom.
When my son graduated from kindergarten in Xavier, I was teary eyed. When Oyen’s name was called to the stage at Fordham’s, abah, it was real, graduate na nga ang anak ko. Meron pang bonus, may mga medal pa. Dean’s lister pa. When my son received his college diploma, Edmund and I heaved a sigh of relief. Ay salamat, naka tapos na ang anak ko. Aside from the freedom from tuition fee bondage, we felt relieved that they at least have something tucked under their belts. They are presumed to be smarter, more intelligent than their parents, and hoping that they would have a comfortable life.
My condition to my daughter was, pag graduate na sya ng MBA pwede na syang mag-asawa. That was a condition set 10 years ago. She’s graduating in May at tila may honor pa yata. Despite the fact that she has the most demanding job in the office, she still managed to pass, with high honors pa. Swerteng bata, hindi sa akin mana. No, she’s not getting married yet, she’s dating someone but too early to tell if it would lead to “forever”.
My son naman is not dating anyone at the moment. He is so busy with work too. Meron pa syang mga sidelines. Last night I reminded him that he has to file his first income tax return kasi he’s earning na. We have the same agreement, he must augment his college education. He’s supposed to go back to school in 2015. Mukhang he’s not reading the GMAT books in his room.
When I recently visited my sister in law, Ate Elsie two weeks ago, she told me she now has a good life. She doesn’t have any more money problems daw because all her three children are successful.
Her eldest runs his own web developing company. He has two cars na and is planning to renovate the house he inherited from my brother. He graduated from UST. I forgot what he took up. The girl, Ching is also doing very well, earns more than my salary at Makati Ford. She finished BS Nutrition from UST. The youngest Angel, works for Smart and is paid so well. I think he’s been recently promoted as Junior Supervisor. He is always vacationing abroad and brings his mom along too. My brother left with him a big house in Pila-pila standing on a lot my mother inherited from her parents. Angel accumulated tons of medals from nursery to high school. Pwedeng gawing wall paper sa dami ng awards nya. Puro valedictorian. He was given a scholarship in UP, kaya I only provided for a minimal sustenance.
See, if they didn’t have a good education, what kind of job would they have?
