STORIES OF MY FRIEND

As I went driving home from freshwater station around 11:30pm of March 3, 2008, I was trying to recall the conversation I had with my friend Jun Fresco, whom I also consider as my business mentor. We talked a lot of things from have-beens to what's up and future plans.

I'm glad to have the chance to talk with him that time in as much as he's always out of the country working as a seaman, his main business. Being friends, we used to share ideas. His stories were something that I really pondered because they bear significance.

From our conversation, he has told me the story of hidden opportunities. He narrated that opportunities are everywhere for man to tap. Since it was not used and being neglected, the opportunities gathered and talk among themselves. They decided to keep themselves from people. They planned to be hidden at the heart of the ocean but there's a thought that it can be dove by a great diver. Another option was to hide it at the top of the highest mountain but they were hesitant that it can be climbed by the great mountaineer. So, afraid to be discovered, they decided to be hidden right at the very being of man. If a man will have to search for opportunity, he will realize that that is there inside of him.

He also told me about the quality on an eagle. Unlike any bird, an eagle flies alone soaring great heights. You cannot see them flock because an eagle is like a leader who is able to make big things even alone. He can act alone and not afraid to fly high. He sees everything up there.

He also mentioned about taking action right away of the ideas that we encounter. Even simple ideas can grow if we allow ourselves to move. I see this when he jumped into making the www.seajobstreet.com. This was a very simple yet great idea when put into reality. I remember when he first shared this to me. I told myself, "Huh! That's something difficult." But I myself has seen the realization of his dream being the creator of the now growing www.seajobstreet.com. Indeed, he has made his dream possible because he believed that he can do it. It was his passion being a mariner to help his fellow seaman to be close to employers and agencies. Now his website can now be accessed by anybody most especially of his same profession. His idea can be thought by anybody but nobody acted.

Reaction on American History X: To be racial or to be not

I have watched the movie American History X recently. It's a story of hatred for black people by the whites particularly Derek, the main actor of the film. It started when his father was murdered by some black individuals but towards the end of the movie, his younger brother Danny told that Derek's anger was only heightened when their father was killed. For Danny, the racial issue started over a discussion during meal time when their father cautioned them of the black people. Their father cited some instances where black people were given the priority over the whites. This insight has influenced the way Derek perceived things about the blacks and other races. Derek's biases had caused him to murder some black individuals who went into their premises and broke his car. Eventually, Derek was imprisoned while Danny continued to uphold the negative prejudices against the blacks. In the prison cell, Derek has experienced a new environment. There were black and white prisoners of different cases. He worked inside with a black inmate who made things meaningful for him but he was raped by some white men. This incident has totally changed his views. When Derek got out of the prison through the help of Mr. Sweeney, a black policeman, he wanted to change things for his family. He became responsible and told Danny about his experiences inside the prison and the reason he wanted to quit in their organization against the black. He was doing this because he realized that his family is important to him most specially his brother Danny who looks up to him with great regard. Things turned out tragically when Danny was shot by a black student who feels the same way against the white. It's so ironical that Danny's death happened when Derek was determined to alter his hatred towards the black people.

It can be drawn from this movie that racism is demeaning. Racial discrimination defeats rational thinking. Whatever race we have doesn't matter much on how we should deal with humanity. To be racial is to accuse falsely the person based on biases and not on truth. It is generalizing things based on few examples that are not true to all. Let us remember that in every race there is good and bad. To determine this is not in the part of the racial sense. Racism is an express way to hate and hate is indeed a baggage.