This Time

Mystified by this changing world,
I look upon and ponder how the older generation loathed seeing their young
going astray. It is not unusual to hear them say, “ibang-iba na talaga ang
panahon ngayon.” And they have reasons to voice their conviction.

This time, we have women
empowerment. I don’t see this as an issue, at least for myself. Our
grandmothers grew up without voting rights. Female offspring were considered
misfortunes then. Women were regarded as the lesser sex, an inferior class, and
were meant to serve the superior men. But now, women have stood up to prove
that they are equal with the opposite sex. Females have become more assertive,
more involved in all fields which were exclusively dominated by men before. We
have stood up for our rights and worked our way up the ladder to establish that
we are not just servants of men. But in this time, people have changed. Women
have changed, and so do men. Our societies have changed.

While women strived to equate
themselves with the men, they seem to be taking in charge, which, in the normal
course of things, taking charge should be the role of men. Our society has
placed upon a greater expectation to the female population. The society demands
for women to be much more than being a woman and the sense of femininity is
somehow lost in it.

I am now challenged. My own
reflection revealed that in my existence, I have strived to at least show the
world that girls can do just what boys can. If guys can do it, we can do it
better. I remember when I was young that I lived in the notion of, “Girls rule,
boys drool.” I don’t deny that I have some fair share of these petty “battle of
the sexes” experiences, and I would sometimes go home crying because boys
teased a little too much, and it hurt a little too much to be placed in
embarrassing situations in such a young age. Little did I know that those petty
experiences have created a barrier in me that’s meant to divide the line
between ladies and men and inculcated a deep sense of hunger to accomplish more
than the boys do. I thought about outdoing them in everything. As I matured, my
feelings have softened and my goals have lightened. I considered the fact that
men and women should work their way side by side. But it was still vague to me
whether the boys would accept us girls to be their comrade in the battle of
life. So the objective I had in mind was to make sure that girls are not left
at the end of the line. Women should be heard, women should be respected, and
women should also be given the same rights as men.

And it was not an easy thing. I
struggled, and failed. And then I struggled some more, and still struggling
now, to let the world know that women have the same rights as men. And in my
struggles, I have observed that I have not really become less of a woman, but
femininity was somehow reduced. As I fought my battle, I did it with less grace
that is expected of a woman. As I fought my battle, I have seemed to be working
on it in manly moves. And it wasn’t right.

And this is my challenge: fight
for your faith, but preserve your femininity. We are women, and we ought to be.
In this world where we are tremendously demanded to be someone better, higher,
bigger, we need to work through this without sacrificing an ounce of our
womanliness.

This time, what’s taboo in the
past is bragged on everywhere. Don’t be offended on what I observed, and I know
you have seen it too. The rising rate of sexuality crises, impurity, and just
about every kind of abomination is plaguing this world. If this is what our society
demands, then there must really be something wrong. How do teenagers do away
with temptation? Well, most of them don’t, and they indulge into it. Masarap ang bawal, and that’s fairly
true. What can we do about it? It seems these days that people at my age are
corrupted, perverted, and entangled in fantasy. Who could refuse such tempting
wine? Indulging in satisfying worldly desires has been perceived as a fortress
of enchanted youth. Can we still change it?

Boys should act like men, and
girls should act like ladies. We have to know what we are here for. We have to
know what roles we have to play. It’s hard to play these roles, but practice
makes close to perfect. We have to reevaluate our values. Let’s not make
perverts out of ourselves. People, let’s be better. Let us change.

We need not over-spiritualize our
lives, we are equipped with a brain. We should decide for ourselves but must
admit and acknowledge the Higher Being who has put us in this world. God is the
only and ultimate source of happiness. Knowing Him is the best filling for our
insatiety. I am not a righteous person nor am I devout. But I feel blessed,
this time, to have felt God’s love for me, and this overflowing joy just wants
to be shared. Try to know God, and discover how much joy you can contain.