A Day With My Friends

AmiGoes to Perya

Click the link above and witness my journey and extra-ordinary moments with them.

My Reasons to Exist

There are a lot of factors that helped me and are helping me to become who I am today. Some of these are really special to me because they are unforgettable and unfathomable. They have the ability to give love, support and care in an unexpected way, they are called family.

Our not so ordinary family is consisting of five members. Yeah, five! Just like a squad of Power Rangers. Like every group such as Voltes V we also have a leader, and that is my father.

He is a very industrious, hard-working, caring, and unselfish dad. He chose to sacrifice in order to sustain our needs. Every time that he will be coming back, our home becomes livelier. He’ll teach me how to drive and we will go to distant places. He always leave something that makes us miss him, that’s why I want to finish my studies and find a job so that he wouldn’t work anymore.

When my father is still in overseas, I become a lone boy in our house. I am left with these three unpredictable ladies – my younger sister, elder sister and my mother. Each one of them make my days complete even though we are always giving punches (not literally) when we are talking to each other.  

My younger sister is only 12 years old but she seems to be older than me, because she will always give commands and demands to me forgetting that I am 4 years older than her. Sometimes, she will be mad when I interrupt her while playing mobile legends or watching k-pop videos.

       Meanwhile, my elder sister is somehow a combination of my younger sister and my mom. She often gives orders as if she can’t do it but I know that she is just tired of working. Despite of that, she is a responsible adult now. She allocates her profit to the house payments, to my mom and for us as an allowance. And due to that I’m glad that my mother’s payments are lessening somehow.

Speaking of my mother, my mom is the most loving person I ever met. She gives us love in mysterious ways. She doesn’t usually say I love you but she corrects us whenever we are committing mistakes. For me, she is the best teacher in the world. Discipline 101, Advanced Manners and ethics and Principles of Home Economics are some of the lessons that she taught us.

In spite of their drastically changing moods, I will always care for them because they are the queens of my life.

Beside from my biological family, there is another family that built my personality. They are not my relatives but made me feel that we have the same blood. They are often referred to treasures, allies, partners in crime, but they are known as friends.

        Let me showcase these four first, Rev, Kynn, Fred and Vin. They are part of my life since elementary until now. We have gone through a lot of hard times. But most of the time we share on millions of laughter. They seems to be my brothers since I don’t have one.

             If I have these brothers, I also have my friends which I considered as my sisters. These two queen sisters of mine are casting a name of Liz and Lene. They helped me a lot in school and always reminds me to don’t hurt anyone’s feeling. Whenever I have done something wrong, they confront me and explain it to me. They also helped me understand girls in different perspectives. They are my guidance counselor and consultant whenever I’m in trouble.

Currently, I am with these friends I met at STI. We share common interests like studying, jamming, dancing, commemorating jokes that have died and eating tons of carbs.

      Actually there are lots of friends that I want to mention here because they have contributed a thousand reasons why I reached this stage in my life. And I think they know who they are.

After all these things, I discovered that I have so many names on my list to go on and face my life’s journey. They serves as the persons that I want to dedicate my goals with once I attained it. If I haven’t met them, my life will just be a sheet of plain white paper or a dictionary without meanings inside it and I thank God that he blessed me to have them. I know that they may leave but they will leave unforgettable for me.

AutoBLOGraphy of the Ordinary Me

On the 8^th day of August year 2001 at the hometown of our national hero, a healthy boy was born. His parents Romy and Tess believe that he will be a good person someday so; he was baptized and given the name of Martin John Pizarra Malapad. And guess what? That boy is the one who wrote this blog that you are reading.

MARTIN. Yes, it is true that this name is influential due to the persons that already casted this name such as Martin Luther King who achieved a lot during his time.  But according to my beloved mother, “Martin” came from his grandfather’s name originally “Martiniano” and “John” from her father named “Juan” despite of the fact that I haven’t met them, I am happy for that.

For me Martin John or MJ have 3 phases – a child, student and a developing adolescent. But then, let’s refer my life into a game or adventure where my age is turned into level and the phases will serve as the stage I am journeying.  In order to understand how these stages helped me to become a fine individual, let’s take a big leap back to my childhood.

I always wanted to play with the kids in our street yet I am not allowed to play outside for so long. But despite of that, I am able to gather friends when I reached level 5 of my life. With the tightly waxed up hair and because of my overflowing energy I am awarded as “PINAKABIBO” pupil during my kindergarten.

Yet, as early as level 4, I still remember the face of the dinosaur that I have drawn on the wall of our recent house. With a blunted pencil and broken crayons in my hand, I met art. With simple stick persons, doodles, and coloring pads with colors outside the drawing, I am able to enjoy my childhood.

When I reached level 6, I entered elementary at Pulo Elementary School, the nearest school in our barangay. One of the things that I remembered during this stage of my life is when I unexpectedly made it to the honor roll. And as years pass by, I became part of the honors in our class which I considered as a blessing from our Lord.

During grade 4, where I am still at level 9, the greatest decision I have ever made in my life happened, it is when I joined campus journalism. My drawing skills were honed because of editorial cartooning and my advisers that taught me well. Becoming a journalist enabled me to feel first time experiences like going to various distanced places and the overwhelming intense feeling during competitions. Despite of continuing my journey to journalism until level 15, I am still able to balance my studies and thus, it even made me realize a lot of valuable lessons in life such as discipline, time-management, socializing and this, “ Winning is not the absence of lost but the overcoming from a lost rather.”

So during level 13 to 15, I attended my junior high school at Pulo National High School and conquered a lot of struggles in life, especially when I was in Grade 9. At this stage, I felt the ups and downs of infatuation and puppy love. Those challenges in life helped me realized that I am not a child anymore hence, a developing adolescent instead.

Just like a game avatar, I have so many interests and hobbies. Some of them are dancing to upbeat songs, singing; but only the chorus parts, writing poetry about love, expressing myself through drawings’, watching anime and spreading corny jokes just to make someone or everyone happy.  Black became my favorite color neglecting the fact that I love everything chromatic. Peanut butter is number one on my sandwich spread list. If I were to eat cheese bread, I will put aside cheese because I am not an avid fan of it except if they are sweetened or melted. Another weird fact that I observed recently is that I eat a lot but won’t get fat.

I am a sentimental person. I like to value things that are from persons I considered as special. I love to put effort on everything worth the pain. Yet, I hate being compared to others and the feeling of being rejected, but in this world I must accept that it is inevitable. And like every adventure, I have my goals. Being a successful architect and animator at the same time, owning a car for my family and traveling the world starting at Japan are some of it.

Right now, I reside at Centennial Town Homes 2 Pulo, City of Cabuyao, Laguna and is currently enjoying my 11^th grade as a STEM student at STI College Sta. Rosa. I am still overflowing with energy though sometimes I am silenced for unidentified reason. As of now, I am aware that there will be a lot boss battles in my life as a level 16 teenager yet, I know that I can overcome it all the way to the next stages and level of my life through Him who knows me very well.

          Oh! I forgot to say that once I was seven years old, I wanted to become a hokage. And that's a sneak peek of Martin John for you.

PHOTOS OF THE FIRST FRENCH EXISTENTIALIST

                                                  GABRIEL MARCEL'S PHOTOS

TAKE A BREAK, HAVE A SELFIE: Marcel knows when and how to take a rest.



 

                 A CONFIDENT GAZE: Gabriel Marcel's perfect candid shot.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Gabriel Marcel at his work area where he create and reflect his works.

ANALYSIS CONCERNING GABRIEL MARCEL'S EXISTENTIALISM

GABRIEL MARCEL'S EXISTENTIALISM

          Bonjour to everyone! Hello Guys and Gals! It is a pleasure to speak in front of these wonderful and fine classmates and teachers of mine. As a start, would all of you please lend me your eyes and ears? Not for me but, for the man that I will discuss. Let me ask you a question first, how many of you thinks that we are free and existing? Apparently, we think that we are but let's find out.

It is true that we are embracing technology today yet, this modernized method alienates us. We are being isolated by the objects around us but then we are not aware of it. Fortunately, there is man from the 19^th century of contemporary philosophy that stood up against alienation. His philosophy has built a stronghold about the real essence of existence that we should always summon up.  

Biography: Who is Gabriel Marcel?

Let us start with this, in Paris year 1889 there was a man born to be a unique philosopher that everyone would never forget.  He is an offspring of a French diplomat and of his mother. Living life’s reality, his mother died when he was still four years old. Despite of that, he pursued to finish education and began teaching philosophy at age of 26 years old, even though his main profession is more of a drama critic and editor. This man is also a World War 1 non-combatant veteran. During that time, he became more attached to philosophy, making him realize the fundamental human experiences regarding hope, freedom, fidelity and relationships that became primary themes of his discipline. He is often compared to Jean-Paul Sartre because their philosophy is alike. Yet, on 1928, the most important chapter of his life made him and his ideology exceptional. It is when he converted into Catholicism that enabled him to attach Godly aspects on his works. That event enabled him, the first French existentialist, Gabriel-Honore Marcel to come up with theistic existentialism.

Gabriel Marcel’s Philosophy and Analysis

So what is theistic existentialism all about? At first, Marcel was inclined with the thought of death because of his exposure in WW1. Until one day, he became a bridge from Sartre’s atheism to Søren Kierkegaard’s theism. His philosophical works such as Mystery of Being proposed that philosophy and faith are both factors that analyze the real essence of existence. As a result, Marcel sought to connect his philosophical beliefs to his faith. And to do that he looked for something that the people must work on to experience existence, it is freedom.

Based on Marcel's concept of existentialism, we should live with an essence and value by means of freedom. Yet, freedom was robbed by objectivism.  But what is freedom? Marcel stated that freedom is a strange inner mutation that is spreading throughout humanity.

Peculiarly, this mutation is produced by the awareness that makes up the foundation of our existence. Man thought that he exists but if we are to look for a deeper meaning or value, he is not.  He rather believes that the things surrounding him can make his life more meaningful or valuable.  This belief made Marcel say that man entered a state where they became in greed of possession. Through these venues, meaning is forced in to life.  Even more, individuals begin to believe that their lives have worth because they are tied to these things, these objects.  Thus, it creates a situation in which individuals experience the self only as a statement, as an object. Human believed that “I am x,” where x stands for nothing or undefined.

Marcel became worry that someday due to technology and modern science, human’s life will be defined based on their functions. The occurrence of factory workers leads human to be objects without dignity. He is valued not how he relates to others or to God but based on how well the machine was operated and that is not existence at all.

Another factor that affects our existence is participation.  According to him, the body does not have instrumental value, nor is it simply a part or extension of the self. It is our active participation that prevents us to categorize ourselves as objects and which brings us into relationships with others. But what we see now is the opposite. Because of abstraction of objectivity, existence became worthless.

 Nowadays, people believe that we are in need of money and objects in order to have a significant role in the society. We think that material possessions represents our social status, it separates riches from poor. Because of this, we depend more on object for our experiences. For example, some politicians became materialistic and are greed of having luxurious life. They take some of the public funds in order to raise their salary and give themselves happiness. Yet, this happiness is only temporary and blinds their consciousness towards responsibility. Thus, it cuts their connection, respect and trust from the mass.

So as a solution, Gabriel Marcel conceptualized primary and secondary reflection in order to make human realize how reflection can change their perspectives in life. Primary reflection explains the relationship of an individual to the world based on her existence as an object in the world, whereas secondary reflection takes as its point of departure the being of the individual among others. On the other hand, understanding of one’s being is only possible through secondary reflection, since it is a reflection whereby the self asks itself how and from what starting point the self is able to proceed.

For example, we are asked to describe person, then by primary reflection we can describe he or she by considering his name, height, weight or complexion but if we are to use secondary reflection we can answer the question by unifying the idea that he or she is a person who have a unique personality among others. To explain it further, primary reflection is more on what is outside and dissolves an idea into pieces while secondary reflection looks for a more subjective definition. By these methods, we can prevent alienation to occur and will help maintain good relationship to others.

            "The wise man knows how to run his life so contemplation is possible." - Gabriel Marcel

            In life we have the power to control our own, so it depends on us if we will assert or neglect the choices that we have. Yet, if we are able to successfully observe ourselves then we can say that we exist. The quote says that we can only experience life if we are aware of our real value and purpose. And we can only know our real purpose through Jesus Christ. If we will be able to recognize ourselves we can achieve freedom. And if we achieved this freedom, we can be able to have faith as well.

Conclusion:

            To sum it up, Gabriel Marcel’s existentialism can serve as a solution to how we should live our lives. Nevertheless, his philosophy lets us feel our freedom within ourselves through the help of active participation and reflection.  Another thing that we should absorb from his philosophy is that a people-God relationship leads to a better people-people relationship. And the best thing we should never forget is how faithful this man is. We should also live the reality that, in order to say that we exist we must have faith in God rather than physical objects in this world.

So to end this, I would like to leave this quote, “Existence is a mystery of which man is aware that he is not living for himself only but for others and for God who values him.”