This here is Bro. Sebastian. We are standing here at a small alley that leads from Ateneo University to the mall in town. These little family stores are called sari-sari stores, sort of like our 'mama' stalls. They are opened to try and make a little extra money in what is overall, a rather difficult country to make money in. Just imagine, all the houses in the neighbourhood built with stone and cement are usually built with money earned from working overseas, i.e. a daughter or mother working as a maid in Singapore for example.
Bro. Sebastian was a very successful accountant before deciding to join the Jesuits. I shared with him my thoughts about career and my life choices, and he shared with me his thoughts about life and work and becoming a Jesuit. He advised me to take my time to figure out what I want with my life. He showed me around town and I had a hell of a time touring Manila.
What I learnt from Bro. Sebastian:
- Even if you have money, a career, respect and responsibility after running the rat race in Singpaore, our real calling and fulfillment and happiness come from somewhere else altogether.
- It is never to late to make choices in life.
No comments:
Post a Comment